Tech Pros Uneasy About Current State of Labor Market
CIO Dive, Friday, October 9th, 2026
Dice finds tech postings up 18% but just 1 in 7 IT pros feel good about hiring, citing unrealistic job requirements.
According to Dice, U.S. tech job postings rose 18% year over year and AI and ML postings 91%, yet only one in seven IT professionals feel positive about the hiring market.
More than a quarter of respondents said job descriptions contain unrealistic qualifications, and rigid requirements and automated screening can filter out qualified candidates whose resumes lack the latest terminology, such as agentic AI.
CIOs are advised to regularly review job descriptions and screening criteria and keep human judgment and practical assessments central to hiring.