The job market feels pretty weird right now; software engineers applying for roles are finding it harder to get responses – while hiring managers tell me it now takes longer to fill positions even though overall recruitment is, confusingly, slightly up. So, what’s going on with tech vacancies? To learn more, I’ve spent the past month gathering new, never-before-shared data on tech jobs, and talking with nearly 100 leaders and experienced engineers who are actively hiring or job hunting today. Today, we cover:

Remote jobs. The volume of remote roles keeps declining compared to a year ago – except in AI Engineering, where more listings seem to be offering remote work than in recent months.

Tech job stats. A slow, steady rise in recruitment across Big Tech and top startups.

AI Engineering trends. Massive increase in demand for AI engineers, with San Francisco’s Bay Area the center of gravity for jobs.

Big Tech hiring stats. Following layoffs in 2022-23, engineering headcount is rising in Big Tech.

Growing importance of location. Many roles are listed in geographical tech hubs, and engineers are more likely to swap jobs if they live in one.

Tenure rising fast at Big Tech. Since 2023, average tenure at Big Tech companies increased at a pace like never before. Is this because people are less likely to quit, or because of Big Tech slowing down hiring?

Where are Big Tech engineers moving to and from? Big Tech is becoming a pretty closed-loop talent market; most Big Tech hires are from similar-sized places.

Engineering leadership recruitment. Amazon is heavily cutting engineering managers, while most of Big Tech except Apple is reducing Director+ roles.

Full deep dive : State of the tech job market in 2025, including an increase in demand for AI engineers and a rising average tenure at Big Tech companies.