Ask HN: Is the AI "Boom" Merely Another Excuse for Layoffs?
The article discusses the potential impact of the AI boom on job layoffs. It suggests that the hiring surge during the pandemic may not be sustainable and that job losses are already occurring. Additionally, it raises concerns about the future demand for developers as companies adapt to changing needs.
- ▪The pandemic led to a significant hiring boom in the last five years.
- ▪Job shedding has been observed in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
- ▪The number of jobs created during the pandemic still surpasses current layoffs.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Most of the hiring done in the last 5 years was the so called "pandemic boom". Even though we already saw a lot of job shedding in 23, 24, 25, the number of jobs created during the pandemic still eclipses these numbers. I think a lot can be read into on the CEO that "removed the HR team" to solve problems they created.I'll say this though, over time the number of developers companies will need will be dipping.
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Ycombinator.