SignalFire Data: Engineering Roles Down Only 11% From 2019 Hiring Levels vs. 25% Drop Across All Large-Tech Roles — 56% of 2026 Layoffs Already Cite AI

A SignalFire State of Talent Report finds that despite 56% of 2026 layoff events citing AI as a primary cause, engineering roles are the most resilient job category — falling just 11% from 2019 hiring levels versus a 25% drop across all large-tech-company roles. Engineers comprised 55% of all new hires in 2025 among 12 major tech companies studied, up from 46% in 2019. The data points to AI displacement being concentrated in content creation, customer service, and data entry while demand for engineers who build and deploy AI systems remains comparatively strong.