Tech job surge signals AI dominance and shifting talent strategies

Mar 24, 2026 · Lenny's Podcast
🎧 PodShort 7 min squeezed to 2 AI SprinklerAS Sales Tech
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Lenny Rachitsky
Host / Newsletter Author at Lenny's Newsletter
Lenny's Podcast
7 min squeezed to 2
Full episode from Lenny's Podcast
Quotable Moments

Product management openings are at the highest levels we've seen in over three years.

Lenny RachitskyHost / Newsletter Author at Lenny's Newsletter
00:23

By definition, recruiting headcount expands and contracts with hiring demand, so it's likely a leading indication that we're tracking towards sustained highs in hiring demand in tech.

Lenny RachitskyHost / Newsletter Author at Lenny's Newsletter
02:53
Key Insights
  • Product management openings are at their highest levels in over three years, indicating a robust demand for product talent.
  • Demand for software engineers has not been slowed by AI, and AI-specific roles are experiencing an absolute explosion in growth across the tech industry.
  • Design roles have plateaued in growth since early 2023, contrasting with the significant expansion seen in other tech roles like PM and engineering.
  • The Bay Area continues to increase its importance as a hub for tech jobs, capturing a growing share of engineering, design, and especially AI and PM roles.
  • Despite ongoing layoffs, the overall number of tech jobs continues to grow, suggesting a net increase in hiring across the sector.
  • The surge in demand for tech recruiters is a leading indicator that the tech industry is tracking towards sustained high hiring demand, as recruitment headcounts expand and contract with overall hiring.
  • The ratio of demand for PMs versus designers has flipped since mid-2023, with PM demand now significantly outpacing design roles, possibly influenced by AI's impact on traditional design processes.
  • New York City has established itself as the number two tech jobs location globally, despite not hosting the headquarters of leading tech companies, highlighting its growing significance as a tech hub.
Metrics Mentioned
  • Over 7,300 open Product Management roles globally. (This is 75% above the low seen in early 2023 and nearly 20% up since the start of this year, representing the most open PM roles since 2022.)
  • Over 67,000 engineering openings globally, with 26,000 in the United States. (This represents a 78% increase from the low of 37,982 positions.)
  • 2,280 open tech recruiting jobs. (This is a 237% increase from the low of 676 positions, with the number almost back to 2022 peak levels.)
  • 36,686 open AI jobs. (This shows a 335% increase from the low of 8,437 positions.)
  • 14,937 open AI engineering jobs. (This is up 438% from the low of 2,776 positions.)
  • 1,135 open AI PM roles. (This represents a 465% increase from the low of 201 positions.)
  • 5,716 open design jobs. (This is 32% above the low of 4,341 positions, but design roles have been relatively flat since early 2023.)
  • Over 20% of all engineering and designer roles are in the Bay Area. (This indicates the Bay Area's increasing share of tech roles.)
  • Over 23% of open PM roles are in the Bay Area. (This is up 50% since 2022, further emphasizing the Bay Area's growing importance for product talent.)
  • 32.3% of open AI roles are based in the Bay Area. (This number has stayed relatively flat in the past few years, indicating its continued dominance as the center of AI.)
  • New York City accounts for 10.2% of AI roles. (NYC is identified as the number two tech jobs location globally.)
  • PM job locations: San Francisco Bay Area (1,442 jobs), Remote United States (864 jobs), New York City (673 jobs). (These are the top PM job locations as of the report.)

RevBots.ai View:

  • AI talent wars will force SaaS Hoarders to overpay for bolt-on AI skills.
  • ARM-stage firms will leverage AI orchestration to reduce headcount dependencies.
  • Remote work decline may hurt Tab Hoppers relying on distributed teams.
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