FUTURE AI Was Supposed to Kill Engineering Jobs, but New Data Suggests They’re the Most Resilient Marina Temki

• Summary: Despite widespread claims that AI would eliminate software engineering roles, hiring data from SignalFire shows the opposite: engineering made up a larger share of new hires and was the most resilient job function in 2025, contradicting the “AI replaced engineers” narrative [TechCrunch]. Companies still cite AI as a rationale for layoffs, but on-the-ground hiring trends don’t match that claim [TechCrunch; Business Insider].

• Key takeaways:
• Engineering hiring share increased vs. other functions, per SignalFire’s analysis of millions of employee records across ~80M companies [TechCrunch].
• The popular layoff narrative blames AI, but hiring data and open-role counts suggest demand for technical talent remains strong [Business Insider].

Follow-up Questions:

1. How did SignalFire measure “resilience” and which roles within engineering were most resilient?

2. Are these hiring trends global or concentrated in specific regions/industries?

3. How have AI coding tools changed engineers’ day-to-day work rather than headcount?

4. What time frame (quarters/years) does the SignalFire data cover?

5. Do companies report different hiring intents vs. actual hires for engineering roles?