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It\u2019s not your imagination, graduating seniors. The tech industry\u2019s pullback from entry-level hiring has reached concerning levels. LinkedIn\u2019s chief economic opportunity officer, Aneesh Raman, warned in The New York Times last week that \u201cbottom rung<\/a> of the career ladder\u201d is \u201cbreaking\u201d as AI eliminates traditional stepping-stone positions.<\/p>\n The numbers are eye-opening: hiring of new grads by the 15 largest tech companies has plummeted over 50%<\/a> since 2019, according to a report<\/a> released this month by the venture firm SignalFire, which found that before the pandemic, graduates comprised 15% of Big Tech hires, a figure that has dropped to just 7%.\u00a0<\/p>\n There is some good news amid the scary headlines. The tech industry isn\u2019t actually shrinking; instead, tech roles are spreading across all industries, from healthcare to finance to retail. Recent research shows tech jobs are projected to grow from 6 million this year to 7.1 million by 2034. Even now, software developers face just 2.2% unemployment<\/a>, which isn\u2019t stellar but is half the national rate. The catch: companies increasingly want AI skills, with one survey finding 87%<\/a> of hiring leaders value AI experience, while nearly a quarter<\/a> of all job postings now require it, per the WSJ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n