February
2026 Jobs Report
January
2026 Jobs Report
How are tech jobs faring in the hiring market?
The tech hiring market began 2026 with renewed momentum, as tech job postings increased 12% month-over-month in January. This growth represented a notable recovery from the year-end slowdown typical of December hiring patterns, though the market remains 3% below January 2025 levels, reflecting ongoing adjustments as companies continue navigating economic uncertainty and workforce transformation priorities.
This monthly increase suggests companies are resuming hiring initiatives following strategic planning periods and budget finalizations that characterize the start of new fiscal years. The positive month-over-month trend indicates that employers are moving forward with expansion plans despite continued caution about broader economic conditions.
AI skills requirements continued their upward trajectory in January, reaching 58% of U.S. tech job postings, up from 51% in December. This represents a 108% increase from January 2025, demonstrating that AI capabilities have become essential qualifications across virtually all technology roles as companies advance from experimental AI implementations to production-scale deployments.
Where are tech job postings concentrated?
January's hiring recovery showed strong momentum across multiple industries, with Insurance leading growth at 145% month-over-month. This substantial increase likely reflects continued digitization of insurance processes and growing investments in solutions as the industry modernizes operations and customer experience platforms.
Healthcare (+72%), Automotive (+65%), and Finance/Banking (+57%) also posted significant month-over-month growth above 50%. These sectors continue to demonstrate resilience in their technology investments, particularly as they advance digital transformation initiatives and integrate emerging technologies into core operations.
Year-over-year trends positioned Finance/Banking as the standout performer with 178% growth, suggesting sustained investment in fintech innovations and regulatory technology solutions. Engineering (+118%) and Insurance (+93%) also maintained strong year-over-year momentum, reflecting ongoing infrastructure modernization and digital service delivery priorities.
Regional hiring patterns show mixed recovery
At the state level, January brought positive momentum across all major tech markets. The top five hiring states by volume all posted month-over-month growth: California (+10%), Texas (+10%), Virginia (+12%), New York (+5%), and Illinois (+9%). Virginia's strong performance likely reflects continued federal contracting activity and government technology initiatives.
Year-over-year patterns remained challenging, with Maryland (+24%) as the only state showing positive growth. California (-14%), Florida (-13%), and New Jersey (-8%) experienced the steepest declines. These patterns reflect broader market adjustments as companies continue optimizing their workforce strategies following the economic uncertainty of 2025.
Metro-level data revealed Baltimore (+34%) as the only metropolitan area posting year-over-year growth. Baltimore's exceptional performance reflects the region's emergence as a federally designated Tech Hub focused on AI and biotechnology. The city's cybersecurity sector growth and proximity to federal agencies continue driving demand for technology professionals.
Month-over-month metro performance showed broad-based recovery across most major tech hubs. Baltimore led with 30% growth, followed by San Francisco (+25%) and Atlanta (+17%). Only Los Angeles (-3%) and New York City (-5%) posted month-over-month declines, likely reflecting ongoing adjustments following layoff announcements in these markets.
Who are companies hiring right now?
January hiring patterns revealed strong demand for specialized technical roles and AI-integrated positions. Month-over-month, Platform Engineering Managers, SOC Analysts, Substation Electrical Engineers, Performance Analysts, Lead Data Scientists, Workday Managers, Product Security Engineers, Artificial Intelligence Analysts, Back End Developers, Enterprise Solutions Architects, Google Cloud Architects, and Digital Transformation Managers all posted growth above 150%.
This growth pattern indicates companies are prioritizing roles that combine technical depth with business strategy, particularly those that can manage complex technology implementations and cross-functional initiatives. The emphasis on AI analysts and platform engineering roles reflects the maturation of AI infrastructure requirements as organizations scale their artificial intelligence capabilities.
The skills landscape emphasized operational excellence and advanced AI capabilities. Month-over-month skill growth was led by Process Engineering (91%) and AI Agents (81%), reflecting the evolution toward more sophisticated automation and intelligent system development. Data Acquisition (78%) and Product Requirements (71%) growth indicates continued emphasis on data-driven decision making and structured product development methodologies.
Business-focused technical skills also showed significant growth, with Product Delivery (68%), Product Engineering (63%), and Business Transformation (63%) all posting increases. People Management (63%) and Technical Strategy (62%) growth reflects the continued evolution of technology roles toward leadership and strategic planning responsibilities.
Year-over-year skill trends reinforced the dominance of AI-related capabilities in the current market. Database Software led with 534% growth, followed by Cybersecurity Compliance (471%). These increases indicate the movement of AI initiatives from experimental phases to production deployment, requiring dedicated specialists in data management and security compliance.
LangChain (434%) and Responsible AI (415%) growth demonstrates the maturation of AI development practices, with companies prioritizing both sophisticated implementation frameworks and ethical AI deployment strategies. Cross-Functional Collaboration (342%) remains critical as AI implementations require coordination across multiple business units and technical teams.
Prompt Engineering's 256% year-over-year growth represents a notable resurgence after declining prominence in mid-2025. This revival likely reflects the maturation of large language model applications and the need for specialized expertise in optimizing AI system interactions as companies move beyond basic implementations to more sophisticated AI-powered solutions.
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Methodology
To present the insights in this report, Dice used job posting data provided by Dice's partner, Lightcast, which has a database of more than 3 billion current and historical job postings worldwide. Dice pulled data on January 6, 2026 and analyzed over 7 million tech job postings in the U.S. to gather our specific dataset, which we then filtered for "Information Technology" jobs that fall under "Full Time," "Part Time" and "Flexible Hours." We gathered the list of top employers in the "Industry Analysis" section by using the above criteria, with an additional filter for job postings that only derive from employer sites. This report is based entirely on real-time job posting data and is independent of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) employment reports. This Dice report provides timely labor market insights derived directly from employer hiring activity rather than survey-based employment statistics. The information in this report is a snapshot of tech job posting data as of January 6, 2026, and backward revisions to prior month's data may occur from the sources used in this report.
About Dice
Dice’s hiring solutions help thousands of companies find and filter through millions of quality technology professional profiles, so you can quickly fill your open roles with the best tech talent. Equipped with AI matching tools, employer branding solutions and hiring insights tailored to individual recruiting needs, Dice makes it easy for recruiters and HR managers to post their jobs, source ideal talent and elevate their brands all in one place. With a fresh perspective on connecting technology professionals to the companies that need them, Dice is the trusted way to hire and get hired in tech. To learn more about what Dice can do to elevate your tech hiring, visit Dice.com/hiring today.