Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Monday, August 24, 2026
New York City Claims U.S. Tech Talent Crown from San Francisco for First Time in 13 Years
New York City’s tech workforce of 394,300 professionals has overtaken San Francisco Bay Area’s 375,730 to become the largest U.S. tech talent market, per CBRE’s Tech Talent Scorecard released August 21, 2026 — the first time New York has led in 13 years. The Bay Area shed roughly 23,900 tech positions from 2022 to 2025, while New York added 30,640 driven by finance-sector demand for AI and data talent. AI tech roles grew 45% over the past year, with both metros each adding more than 20,000 AI-specific jobs since mid-2025. Despite losing the headcount lead, San Francisco retained first place in CBRE’s 13-metric composite index.
Sources: CNBC, Dataconomy
Apple Cuts More Than 200 Employees Across Vision Pro and Siri Software Teams
Apple cut more than 200 employees across its Vision Products Group and Siri software teams on August 20–21, 2026, according to Bloomberg and 9to5Mac. Roughly 100 roles were eliminated in the Vision Pro division, with cuts targeting gaming and immersive video teams; another 100 positions came from Siri and AI software groups. The restructuring aligns with reports that incoming CEO John Ternus plans to pull back from spatial computing hardware in favor of lighter smart-glasses products. Each immersive video episode costs millions of dollars to produce, making the content team an early restructuring target. The layoffs are Apple’s latest workforce reduction of 2026.
Nvidia Pays $6 Billion to License Poolside AI Technology and Hire 109 Engineers
Nvidia agreed to pay $6 billion to license Poolside’s AI model-development software, Model Factory, and will extend employment offers to 109 Poolside engineers, Bloomberg reported August 20, 2026. Nvidia will simultaneously invest $1 billion in the remaining company at a $12 billion pre-money valuation, quadrupling Poolside’s previous $3 billion valuation. Poolside’s three co-founders — including former GitHub CTO Jason Warner — will remain to lead the independent entity. The structure avoids a full acquisition, which can trigger regulatory review, while delivering Nvidia the technology and talent it needs. The deal is Nvidia’s third similar licensing-plus-hiring agreement in eight months, following arrangements with Groq and Enfabrica.
Sources: Bloomberg, The Next Web
Micron Launches $10 Billion Research Lab Initiative Expected to Create More Than 90,000 Jobs
Micron Technology on August 21, 2026 announced plans to invest $10 billion over the next decade in Micron Research Labs, a new institution headquartered in Boise, Idaho, focused on advancing memory technologies, compute systems, and semiconductor packaging for AI. The initiative spans a megafab in Clay, New York, two Boise fabrication facilities with first wafer output targeted for mid-2027 and late 2028, and a Virginia expansion, with the combined program expected to create more than 90,000 jobs. The $10 billion research commitment is separate from the $250 billion Micron has already pledged to U.S. manufacturing and R&D through 2035. Micron’s Clay megafab poured its first concrete in July 2026.
AI Skills Now Required in 79 Percent of Tech Job Postings, Dice August 2026 Report Finds
AI skill requirements appeared in 79% of U.S. tech job postings in July 2026, up from 75% in June and 144% higher year-over-year, according to the Dice August 2026 Tech Jobs Report. Overall tech job postings fell 10% month-over-month in July after several months of expansion, though year-over-year postings are up 10% from July 2025. The fastest-growing skills in July were Organizational Change Management, up 42%; Quality Improvement, up 37%; and Responsible AI, up 21% — reflecting employer demand for workers who can govern and operationalize AI, not just code it. Insurance posted the largest industry gain, with tech postings up 66% month-over-month as carriers build AI and data infrastructure.
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Curated by JD · samwise.agency