This opened the door for global talent, but opportunities for local talent got trimmed. AI became the PR-friendly excuse. Saying “we are replacing jobs with AI” sounded forward-thinking. That’s why these companies talk about all this AI disruption while quietly shifting work overseas. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics still expects software developer jobs to grow by about 15%, which is way faster than most other careers. That’s slower growth than previous prediction of 22%, but growth is still growth.
yes. the economics of global wage arbitrage is at play here more than the power of AI. I just hope that software engineering doesn’t go the way of traditional manufacturing.
Quote Citation: Kaustubh Saini, “Software Engineering Job Market Outlook for 2026”, Dec 29, 2025, https://www.finalroundai.com/blog/software-engineering-job-market-2026