October
2025 Jobs Report
October
2025 Jobs Report
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 1 billion current and historical job postings worldwide. Dice pulled data on October 6, 2025 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 October 6, 2025, and backward revisions to prior month's data may occur from the sources used in this report.
How are tech jobs faring in the hiring market?
The tech hiring landscape showed positive momentum in September, marking a notable shift from earlier in the year. Tech job postings grew 12.9% month-over-month, though they remained down 2.5% year-over-year, suggesting the market is still working through the broader tech correction that began in late 2022.
This month-over-month growth represents one of the strongest hiring signals we've seen in 2025, indicating that companies may be gaining confidence to expand their technology teams as we head into the fourth quarter.
AI skills demand continues its climb. Fifty percent of U.S. tech job postings now require AI skills in September, up from 47% in August. This represents a staggering 98% increase from September 2024, demonstrating that AI integration has moved from experimental to essential across the technology sector.
Where are tech job postings concentrated?
Industry patterns reveal dramatic shifts in tech hiring priorities. Manufacturing showed robust 108% month-over-month growth, followed by Engineering at 60%. This industrial tech hiring boom suggests companies are prioritizing automation, IoT implementation, and smart manufacturing initiatives. Insurance, Telecommunications, Retail, and Software all posted healthy growth rates between 31-38%.
Year-over-year trends paint an even more compelling picture, with Manufacturing leading at 257% growth, followed by Insurance at 182%, and Telecommunications at 149%.
Regional hiring patterns shift
At the state level, we're seeing interesting geographic realignments. Illinois led year-overyear growth at 15%, with Georgia up 6%, North Carolina up 3%, and California managing modest 1% growth. This contrasts sharply with traditional tech centers experiencing contraction: Massachusetts and New Jersey both dropped 11%, Virginia fell 8%, and even Texas declined 4%.
Metro-level data reveals similar patterns. San Jose bounced back with 27% year-over-year growth, while Austin posted 21% gains. Chicago and Atlanta both grew 8%, reflecting growth in secondary tech markets outside traditional coastal hubs.
However, several major tech hubs continued to struggle: Los Angeles and Boston both dropped 11%, Washington DC fell 10%, New York City declined 8%, and Dallas dropped 6%.
Who are companies hiring right now?
Security and infrastructure concerns are driving hiring in specialized roles. Mainframe Systems Programmers, Application Security Engineers, and Cybersecurity Specialists all saw month-over-month growth exceeding 200%. This surge reflects both the growing sophistication of cyber threats and organizations' recognition that legacy system security requires specialized expertise.
UX Engineers and Application Support Analysts also posted strong growth around 175%, indicating companies are prioritizing both user experience and operational reliability as they scale their digital operations.
The skills landscape reveals a fascinating story about the current state of tech hiring. The top five month-over-month growth skills tell a cohesive narrative about operational maturity: Data Reporting (285% growth) and System Monitoring (252% growth) suggest companies are moving beyond basic implementation to sophisticated performance tracking and business intelligence. Product Software Implementation Method (231% growth) indicates organizations are seeking structured approaches to technology deployment rather than ad-hoc solutions.
Year-over-year growth patterns reinforce this operational maturity theme. System Monitoring showed 286% growth, while the appearance of CPT Coding (253% growth) suggests healthcare technology integration is becoming a significant driver of tech hiring.
This skills constellation points to a maturing technology sector where companies are investing in the foundational capabilities needed for long-term success: comprehensive monitoring, structured implementation, thorough documentation, and effective cross-team collaboration. It's a sign that the industry is shifting from growth-at-all-costs mentality to sustainable, scalable operations
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