IT pros are caught between an AI rock and an economic hard place

Tech gigs slide, or so this analysis of US jobs data claims

The US jobs market grew faster than expected in April, but most IT pros aren’t among the beneficiaries.

The US economy added 39,000 more jobs than anticipated in April, according to JP Morgan's reading of Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

IT consultancy Janco’s analysis of the same data found 10,600 IT jobs disappeared in April after the same quantity of job losses in March.

Tech certification org CompTIA also looked at the bureau’s data and concluded 214,000 tech jobs overall disappeared.

Janco believes the unemployment rate among IT pros fell from 5.0 to 4.6 percent in April. CompTIA asserts tech occupation unemployment rose from 3.1 to 3.5 percent when accounting for non-IT technical roles.

Janco CEO Victor Janulaitis explained the divergence as a result of out-of-work IT pros quitting tech to work in other fields.

"We believe that many low-skilled, legacy-skilled IT pros, or displaced IT professionals, have stopped looking for jobs in the IT sector," he said.

Increased use of automation may also have contributed, Janulaitis added.

"Companies do not have the desire to hire new staff to meet mandated compliance requirements," the CEO wrote in Janco's April jobs report. "Ergo, they are focusing on AI to automate as many of those tasks as possible, especially for reporting and monitoring."

DOGE damage?

The Trump administration’s policies, and Elon Musk’s cost-trimming DOGE team, may also have hurt.

Companies that provide IT outsourcing and consulting are "scrambling to maintain their existing contracts" as companies try to reduce costs to prepare for the effects of tariffs, leading to hiring pauses and staff reductions in those firms, Janco said. A declining stock market has left companies fearing a downturn and therefore reticent to invest in new talent.

Janco's running total of jobs gained and lost in 2024 vs. 2025 - not looking great so far. Source: Janco

AI implementations are one bright spot in the US tech jobs market, Janco found. Prospects are also decent for security pros.

Those who really want to find job security should acquire skills in both AI and “onmi-commerce” – the field that blends omnichannel marketing and e-commerce. Janulaitis said "a limited number of IT pros" understand both domains.

CompTIA also noted increased interest in AI skills, as shown by a 184 percent increase in AI-related job postings last month. ®