New Dice Report Reveals Tech Professionals in Defensive Job Market Mode

Dice (NYSE: DHX), a DHI Group, Inc. brand and the leading tech career marketplace, today released The Defensive Job Market: Tech Sentiment in 2026, a comprehensive survey of over 1,000 U.S. tech professionals revealing a workforce caught in a defining paradox: high mobility driven by necessity, not opportunity.

True to Dice’s commitment to transparency and reducing friction in the tech hiring market, this report delivers candid insights into the evolving dynamics between tech professionals and employers. By equipping the tech community with clear, actionable intelligence about workforce sentiment, Dice empowers all stakeholders to navigate today’s market with confidence and make more informed decisions.

The research exposes unprecedented disconnects between movement and confidence, revealing a workforce repositioning defensively rather than opportunistically. Key findings include:

• 74% of tech professionals plan to change employers in the next year, yet only 41% feel confident they’ll find something better
• There was a nearly 50% increase in those who reported feeling ”burnout” from 31% to 46%, with 70% of very burned-out professionals actively job searching
• Job stability climbed from #4 to #2 among reasons for switching employers, signaling that security has become a primary driver of career moves
• Daily AI use quadrupled, yet 63% of non-AI tech professionals believe AI eliminates more jobs than it creates
• Only 34% of tech professionals remain untouched by layoffs, down from 56% in 2023, with 29% expecting future cuts at their current employer

“What we’re witnessing isn’t the traditional desire to job-hop,” said Paul Farnsworth, President of Dice. “Tech professionals are moving to prioritize stability. This creates a unique challenge for employers: you have a highly mobile talent pool, but candidates are harder to close because they’re moving due to anxiety, not optimism.”

Market Data Confirms the Strain

Objective market data reinforces what the report’s sentiment findings already suggest: the tech job market has cooled significantly. Tech job postings currently stand at 575,000, according to the report’s analysis of Lightcast data. This is below even pre-pandemic 2019 levels and less than half the Q2 2022 peak of 1.3 million. This contraction explains why 88% of tech professionals believe employers currently hold more power in the market.

Beyond headline mobility numbers, the research reveals critical pressure points:

• 82% of tech professionals believe they applied to a “ghost job” (roles posted with no intention to hire) in the past year
• 52% applied for roles significantly below their skill level just to secure employment
• Long-term confidence in tech’s growth dropped from 80% to 60%, with concern about decline nearly tripling
• Remote work surged from #7 to a top-three motivator for switching employers, while advancement opportunities became less influential.

AI Governance Emerges as Critical Retention Lever

Even as AI adoption accelerates, with 35% of tech professionals now responsible for designing, developing, or implementing AI solutions, AI governance remains a step behind. Only 47% report that their employer has introduced formal AI policies, and confidence varies sharply: 60% of AI professionals trust their employer’s responsible use of AI, compared with just 41% of other tech workers.

The governance gap drives risky behavior: 25% of tech professionals used AI without their manager’s knowledge or approval. More critically, the data reveals AI governance as a retention factor. Tech professionals who are confident in their employer’s responsible AI use are significantly less likely to leave.

“This research confirms what many suspected, but few had quantified: the tech workforce is under sustained, structural pressure,” said Art Zeile, CEO of DHI Group, Inc. “By providing transparent data on burnout, mobility drivers, and AI’s impact, we’re equipping employers and staffing firms with the intelligence needed to compete effectively. Organizations that understand why candidates are moving will win placements their competitors miss.”

Where Retention Risks Concentrate

The report identifies specific segments facing the highest flight risk: women, Black tech professionals, Gen X, mid-career workers (5-19 years of experience), and those at small companies. These groups report higher burnout, greater layoff concerns, and lower confidence in job stability. In contrast, Gen Z shows surprisingly low flight risk despite being earlier in their careers, raising questions about generational differences in risk tolerance and market expectations.

What This Moment Demands

Stability is now a baseline expectation for competitive hiring. Employers that communicate transparency around AI governance, maintain clear policies, demonstrate financial health, and acknowledge market strain are better positioned to attract talent. For staffing firms, understanding where leverage exists in the candidate pool creates an advantage in sourcing and placement strategy. The report also includes supplementary job market data analyzing salary trends, volume changes, and geographic variations across roles, skills, and regions to support strategic decision-making.

Methodology

This report draws on findings from a November-December 2025 survey of 1,159 U.S. tech professionals conducted by Dice. The research examined perspectives on the job market, economic and industry outlook, and the use and governance of AI in their work. The report also includes supplementary labor market analysis of over 7 million U.S. tech job postings, providing salary and demand trends by role, skill, and geography.