Samwise High Tech Recruiting Newsletter
Monday, July 13, 2026
AI Skills Now Listed in 73% of U.S. Tech Job Postings, Dice Analysis Finds
A new Dice analysis of 7 million U.S. tech job postings shows AI skill requirements climbed from 15% of listings in January 2024 to 73% by May 2026. Jobs with “AI” in the title surged 173% year over year in Q1 2026, even as overall software development postings dipped 22%. Finance and banking emerged as the fastest-growing sector for tech talent, with postings up 47% year over year. A separate CompTIA report finds tech unemployment fell below 3% for the first time in 2026, suggesting demand for qualified tech workers remains robust even as job titles and skill requirements shift rapidly.
69% of U.S. Workers Support an AI Wealth Fund as Tech Layoffs Reach 185,000 in 2026
As U.S. tech layoffs surpassed 185,894 workers across 267 events so far in 2026, a new Verasight poll of 1,690 adults finds 69% of Americans support requiring AI companies to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund to compensate displaced workers. Tech accounts for roughly one-third of all U.S. layoffs in H1 2026. Goldman Sachs Senior Global Economist Joseph Briggs estimates that 9% of the U.S. labor force — approximately 15 million workers — could lose jobs over a 10-year AI transition. The Verasight survey was conducted in June 2026.
Federal Reserve Analysis Finds Economy Shutting Young Adults Out of Tech Entry-Level Jobs
A Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis analysis by researchers William Rodgers III and Alice Kassens finds the employment rate among 18-to-24-year-olds fell more than 2 percentage points between April 2023 and December 2025. The researchers attribute roughly one-third of the rise in youth unemployment to growing AI skill demands, with employers in a “low-hire, low-fire” mode that retains existing workers while scaling back entry-level recruitment. Remote work restrictions may also be a factor, particularly for recent college graduates, the researchers note. The findings highlight structural barriers AI adoption is creating for early-career tech job seekers.
45% of Workers Distrust HR in Toxic Workplaces as U.S. Tech Sector Records 121,000 Cuts in 2026
A new iHire survey finds 45% of U.S. workers would not trust HR or company leadership to respond fairly if they reported a toxic work environment. The findings arrive as the tech sector absorbs mounting job losses: a Trading Platforms analysis cited by HR Dive finds 121,072 U.S. tech workers have been cut in 2026, including approximately 4,800 roles eliminated by Microsoft as part of a 2.1% global workforce restructuring. A separate Cisco survey cited by HR Dive finds 72% of CEOs expect humans to retain oversight of AI systems through 2030, even as AI agents take on expanded operational roles.
EEOC: DC Water to Pay $217,000 After Replacing Experienced HR Professional with Younger Worker
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has reached a $217,000 settlement with the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority after it allegedly replaced a senior HR professional with a younger, less qualified employee in September 2023, violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The complaint described the episode as one of several such replacements of older workers in DC Water’s HR department. Under the consent decree, DC Water must implement enhanced nondiscrimination policies, issue employee rights notices, and provide advanced antidiscrimination training for its HR team. EEOC Philadelphia District Regional Attorney Debra Lawrence said older employees are “too often targets of unfounded or stereotyped assumptions.”
Curated by JD · samwise.agency