ACM CareerNews for Tuesday, June 9, 2026
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Volume 22, Issue 11, June 9, 2026
Tech Jobs Grew in May Despite AI Layoffs
CIO Dive, June 5
Technology positions grew for the second consecutive month as employers added 69,000 tech jobs in May, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Despite layoffs last month by several high-profile technology providers, tech sector companies added 6,700 jobs led by hiring in the cloud infrastructure and IT services categories. Unemployment among technology workers dropped again, falling to 3.1% from 3.5% in April, moving further away from its March peak of 3.9%.
The uptick in tech hiring runs counter to a spike in tech industry layoffs. Companies have been pointing to the influence of AI in reshaping operations and business strategies as an underlying reason for these layoffs. Technology sector companies announced 38,242 job cuts in May, marking the highest monthly total for the sector in nearly two years. Tech businesses have cut more than 123,000 jobs so far in 2026, a year-over-year increase of 66%. Across all sectors of the economy, AI was the most common factor driving the cuts. Despite that, technology hiring remains active. Employers continue to invest, particularly in AI and supporting infrastructure, while becoming more selective about the roles they bring to market. The result is fewer open positions overall, but greater focus on roles tied to execution and immediate impact.
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Tech Companies Are Finally Hiring Again But There's a Catch
Inc.com, May 6
Tech hiring appears to be picking up in 2026. While some big-name Silicon Valley tech firms continue to trim talent in a quest to stay ahead of the game, other more nimble companies are acting as landing spots again. At the same time, recruiters are starting to make outbound calls more often. However, the type of company doing the hiring now is different, the type of hire is changing, and the compensation being offered is often lower than might be expected. Importantly, though, jobs do exist for those willing to cast a wider net. However, the scope and scale of what these jobs offer appears to be shifting.
As is typical with most IT hiring cycles, the West Coast and other tech hot spots are leading the way and starting to hire again. Major tech companies in places such as the Bay Area and Seattle are realizing they can find talent in metro areas other than in higher cost-of-living hubs. The AI hype cycle is coming to an end, and the pressure to win the LLM race is cooling, adding a new dynamic to the hiring cycle. Second-tier tech companies now have access to discarded top-tier talent that has been on the bench for a year or more. While that is happening, top tier tech companies are still shedding talent and signaling that they will continue to be compelled to keep trimming for the foreseeable future.
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Entry-Level Tech Jobs AI Can't Touch
Dice Insights, June 4
As companies increasingly use AI-powered assistants and tools to handle routine tasks, landing an entry-level tech job has becoming ever more challenging. In fact, surveys show a 73% decline in hiring rates for traditional entry-level tech roles in the past year. However, not all entry-level jobs have disappeared. Some positions are surviving the rise of AI automation because they require more advanced skills like human judgment, critical thinking, problem solving, and written communication.
There is a growing list of entry-level tech jobs that AI has impacted but not yet replaced. This includes the role of cyber engineer. The market for entry-level cyber engineers is competitive but growing. These roles often require diverse skills and knowledge. For instance, there is a significant need for individuals to assess vulnerabilities in cloud environments and create, implement, and monitor security systems and features. The best way to elevate your candidacy for a role in the private sector is by completing security training courses. An alternative way to break in is through the government. The Department of War (DoW), for instance, is still actively hiring interns and entry-level professionals for cyber positions.
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AI May Be Killing Some High-Tech Jobs, But It's Also Creating Others
MarketWatch, June 5
Artificial intelligence (AI) might one day eliminate many high-tech jobs, but there is still little evidence that it is already causing widespread layoffs. What AI appears to be doing for now is slightly reducing the need for companies to fill or keep certain jobs. The good news is that this might be encouraging other companies to hire more people, simply to keep ahead of others in the race to implement new AI initiatives. As a result, AI may be reducing some high-tech jobs, but it is also creating others.
Technology is the one industry most directly affected by AI. The broadest category of high-tech employment, including software development and computer design, totaled 2.37 million jobs in May. These jobs peaked at 2.48 million in 2023 and have declined steadily since then. Some 7,000 of these positions have been eliminated through the first five months of 2026. A similar pattern has emerged in high-tech jobs involved with the internet, including data centers vital to artificial intelligence. These jobs totaled 466,100 in May, but they have also fallen slightly since the start of the year. They are also down from a record 489,000 three years ago. Altogether, high-tech employment in these two categories has fallen 4.5% from an all-time high of 2.97 million in 2023. Clearly, AI is having an effect, even if it is a small one.
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These 5 Skills Are AI-Proof and Likely to Become More Valuable Over the Next 5 Years
CNBC, May 27
In the era of AI, new skills and competencies are emerging that could help to boost the career trajectories of established IT professionals. Some key skill areas are AI-proof, can transfer across a variety of industries, and are likely to increase in value over the next five years. These include communication skills, social skills, and AI implementation skills. Over the next five years, these skills can help to provide a real boost when tracking down new A)-related job opportunities.
Every organization needs skilled communicators to explain their mission and offerings, both internally and externally. As it becomes easier to create large volumes of content with AI, it is possible the value of content creation will decrease. But the skill of figuring out what to produce in the first place will grow in importance, as will the value of having good judgement about quality. Developing trust and an authentic relationship with your audience will also become more important.
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Want to Avoid the Resume Black Hole? Do This
Fast Company, March 6
Employers are being overwhelmed by applicants for open positions, and job candidates increasingly say there is no response at all to their applications. The overabundance of qualified applicants is not the only reason candidates are not hearing back from hiring managers after applying for a job. Employers are hiring more selectively, and hiring is frequently impacted by economic signals, budgets, and internal restructuring that changes what roles are available and how many people are needed to do them.
If job seekers really want to stand out, they will need to find a way to combine newer AI tools with traditional job-seeking strategies. That will definitely mean adjusting the resume that AI generates for you. This is important because there are tools built to detect if AI was used to generate a resume in the first place. The mistake many job seekers make is simply copying and pasting the resume they receive without any personalization. Instead, use AI to help draft the resume, but then personalize it and make it human. Another frequent problem is that most resumes are far too generic. In response, applicants should get very specific about what they have done, and how it impacted their organization.
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What If the Best Software Jobs Aren’t at Software Companies?
BuiltIn.com, June 3
The current narrative around computer science careers overlooks that many of the best new software jobs are actually hardware jobs. In short, the evolving landscape within the electronics manufacturing industry is creating new, high-value opportunities for computer science graduates. At the same time, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is also driving the demand for highly skilled software talent throughout the electronics manufacturing industry.
For those ready to explore the hardware tech sector, there are a few key starting points. First, research local electronics manufacturers. Look beyond the big names. Companies building printed circuit boards, doing systems assembly or contract electronics manufacturing are hiring and may be in your backyard. These companies need software talent to build and maintain the systems that drive production. Think in terms of factory automation platforms, testing and quality-control software, embedded firmware, supply chain management tools, and AI-driven analytics.
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Silicon Valley's Lure is Fading For India's Tech Talent
Rest of World, June 5
In response to changes taking place in the U.S. tech sector, Indian IT companies are now looking to capture top talent that might have otherwise sought out high-paying jobs in Silicon Valley. For decades, a high-profile tech job in America has been a magnet for elite tech workers in India, offering unmatched prestige, compensation, and a ticket to global mobility. Now, a combination of layoffs spurred by AI and tightening immigration policies by the U.S. government is reducing the once-unquestioned appeal of Silicon Valley giants.
Indian AI jobs are evolving beyond back-end roles. An early-stage AI company in India pays 50% to 75% of what a top U.S. tech company pays for an equivalent role. However, getting a foot in the door sooner comes with lucrative stock option plans and performance-linked incentives. A lot of people are willing to take that 50% cut in compensation today for the greater payout at the end. That being said, OpenAI and Anthropic have recently started expanding their engineering and AI capabilities in India. In a market that is very supply-constrained, every employer is tapping into the same shallow pool. As a result, the same hiring shortlists turn up at Indian AI startups and at the Indian offices of global tech firms.
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Investing in Workers to Work with AI
Communications of the ACM, June 3
As companies rush to deploy AI, many are being confronted by some costly roadblocks, such as difficulties in sourcing top talent and the need to train employees in AI. This results in unfilled roles and unrealized productivity gains. Only 7% of AI investments are being made in people and training, while 93% is being spent on technology. Further, 58% of companies rely on self-serve learning, or provide no formal AI training for employees. The takeaway is clear: more companies need to provide structured programs for AI training.
A major impetus for investing in training is to reduce employee fears that AI will eventually take their jobs. In many cases, people thought AI would replace them, and because of this, they either ignored new AI tools or used them very superficially. By providing training, companies can show that AI is by no means a replacement, but a reinforcement. In some instances, when training is provided, companies are taking drastic steps to ensure it is utilized. For example, some companies are telling senior employees that they must use AI tools on a regular basis or they will not be considered for promotions.
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The AI-Native Developer
ACM Queue, June 4
AI is changing software development in fundamentally important ways. As a result, AI is forcing some to ask which parts of the job are still worth doing, given the increasing capabilities of AI. Developers are making deliberate choices about what to keep, what to delegate, and what they no longer recognize as their work. Many report that their work feels less meaningful than before, suggesting a deeper shift in the role itself. The good news is that, as AI increasingly augments software creation, the process of becoming an AI-native developer could lead to unique job opportunities.
The identity of being a software developer often evolves with AI fluency. To understand where the developer role is heading, it can be helpful to start at the destination, which is the role of the AI strategist. These strategists are not writing much code. Multiple AI agents run in parallel: one defining test cases, another implementing them, and a third reviewing security vulnerabilities. The developer sets context, orchestrates the agent queue, reviews output, and decides what to delegate next. They embrace waiting for agents to iterate through solutions. They have built verification practices rigorous enough that orchestration feels safe, even at scale. According to these developers, AI will write 90 to 100 percent of code within two years.
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