SignalFire data shows engineering hiring is more resilient than almost anyone expected
SignalFire's 2026 State of Talent Report, tracking data across 80 million companies, finds engineering roles fell only 11% from 2019 levels while total tech hiring dropped 25%. Engineers now make up 55% of new hires at major tech firms, and early-stage startups hired 7% more engineers in 2025 than in 2019, suggesting AI is expanding engineering demand rather than eliminating it.