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Demand for skilled tech professionals remains competitive midway through 2025. With unemployment rates for many technology roles below the national average, companies must search for talent in a limited pool of qualified candidates. Staying current with hiring trends in technology allows companies to target the most in-demand roles and strengthen retention efforts. Robert Half’s Demand for Skilled Talent report offers a clear view of where competition is strong—and how to respond.

What does the tech hiring market look like?

The industries leading the charge in technology hiring include business and professional services, manufacturing and transportation, financial services, and IT companies. This broad demand across sectors intensifies the competition, as a cybersecurity expert might field offers from a bank, a logistics company and a software firm all within the same week. Most technology positions tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics have seen unemployment rates trending well below the May 2025 national rate of 4.2%. For example, the rate reported for software developers was 2.8% in Q1 2025, and the rates for systems analysts (1.8%), security analysts (2.3%), IT and user support specialists (2.5%), and database administrators and architects (2.6%) were even lower.

What technology roles are in demand?

The following positions are in the top 15% of in-demand technology roles, according to an analysis of thousands of job postings and Robert Half placements: AI/machine learning engineer Data analyst – technology Data engineer DevOps engineer IT business analyst IT project manager Network/cloud engineer Network security engineer Software engineer/developer Systems administrator

What are key tech hiring trends in 2025?

Companies across all industries need candidates with specialized skills. According to research for the Demand for Skilled Talent report, the most evident skills gap on technology teams is within AI, machine learning and data science. AI expertise has become increasingly valuable as organizations seek professionals who can develop and implement solutions ranging from customer service chatbots to predictive maintenance systems that keep factories running smoothly. This demand extends well beyond traditional tech companies—healthcare providers want AI-powered systems for diagnostic tools, retailers need it for inventory optimization, and financial firms require it for fraud detection. In addition to AI, research for the report identified several other key skill areas that are in demand in today's market: Data science remains critical as companies seek to extract meaningful insights from the large volumes of data they collect daily. IT operations and support are essential for keeping increasingly complex digital infrastructures running smoothly. Cybersecurity and privacy experts face unprecedented demand as organizations grapple with evolving threats and stricter regulatory requirements. Technology process automation specialists help businesses streamline operations and reduce costs through intelligent workflow design.

Discover where the job opportunities are

Access report Explore our Demand for Skilled Talent report to learn which technology initiatives are driving hiring trends.

Managers’ recruitment plans for the second half of 2025

A majority of technology leaders have plans to hire through the end of the year. Fifty-six percent say they intend to add new permanent roles, while 38% will focus on hiring for vacancies only. Their top drivers for hiring include company growth and a slate of new projects. Yet 89% admit it’s challenging to find professionals with the right mix of skills. At the same time, 65% say they’re increasing their use of contract talent. Hiring contract talent offers several advantages: access to specialized skills for specific projects, flexibility to scale teams up or down based on project demands and faster time to hire for critical positions. It also allows companies to work with candidates before making permanent hiring decisions, reducing the risk of costly hiring mistakes.

How to compete for technology talent in a challenging hiring environment

In today's market, attracting and retaining top technology professionals requires a multifaceted approach. Beyond offering a compelling compensation package, the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies strongly appeals to today's professionals. Technology hiring trends in 2025 indicate that candidates place a high value on exposure to AI and machine learning projects, as these skills significantly enhance their career trajectories. Companies should highlight their technology stack, innovation initiatives and professional growth opportunities in job descriptions and interviews. Additionally, streamlining the hiring processes enables faster action when the right talent is identified. Skilled technology professionals often have multiple offers, so lengthy approval processes, excessive interview rounds or slow decision-making can cost employers their preferred candidates. Partnering with specialized recruiters can help identify and access high-potential candidates who may not be actively job hunting. These professionals generally have established relationships with top performers, enabling swift pivots as new tech hiring trends in 2025 emerge. Review the Demand for Skilled Talent report to learn more about hiring trends.

About the Demand for Skilled Talent report

The Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half is an authoritative source providing essential insights into employment trends. This report has offered a deep dive into the U.S. hiring landscape for over a decade, spotlighting challenges and strategies to attract and retain talent. It explores what employees seek in their careers, identifies common recruitment errors and suggests solutions. The report spans finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources, proving crucial for business leaders and managers.