Redazione RHC : 29 September 2025 17:24
Alarming trends are emerging in the IT job market. More and more computer science graduates are unable to find work, even at minimum wage.
A computer science degree was once considered a gateway to a well-paying career with rapid advancement . But mass layoffs at major tech companies, coupled with the introduction of new tools that eliminate the need for in-depth technical knowledge, have radically changed the rules of the game.
The stories of young professionals are disheartening. A University of Oregon graduate said he sent out nearly six thousand resumes and had thirteen interviews in two years, without ever receiving a single offer. He was even rejected by a fast food chain because he lacked the “required experience .”
Some said they applied for hundreds, and in many cases thousands, of tech positions at companies, nonprofits, and government agencies. But many computer science graduates said their months-long job searches often ended in profound disappointment or, worse, with companies abandoning them.
Zach Taylor told the New York Times that since graduating in 2023 with a degree in computer science from Oregon State University, he has applied for nearly 6,000 tech jobs, and it has been one of the “most demoralizing experiences I’ve ever had to face.”
Taylor isn’t alone. According to the independent layoff tracking site Layoffs.fyi, over 150,000 tech workers were laid off at 551 tech companies in 2024. As of this writing, 88,964 tech workers had been laid off at 199 tech companies in 2025.
In this context, many students and young professionals are beginning to question their chosen profession. According to surveys, a third of graduates believe their education was a waste of money, and half of Generation Z regrets their chosen specialization.
Major tech companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, Lenovo and Intel have laid off a significant portion of their workforce in 2024, and layoffs will continue in 2025. Microsoft, for example, announced in July that it will cut another 9,000 employees after a
series of layoffs that occurred earlier this year.
While the idea behind AI was to automate manual tasks and help workers focus on higher-value activities, some workers fear it will completely replace them, and this is already happening.
However, experts emphasize that the demand for specialists will not disappear completely.
In the coming years, experts in cybersecurity, cloud technologies, and data analytics will be in demand. Furthermore, the market is increasingly placing importance not only on a diploma, but also on practical skills , demonstrated through courses, internships, and hands-on projects.
While graduates are wondering whether the era of six-figure salaries in the IT sector is over, the job market is restructuring, and new rules are requiring professionals to be much more flexible and willing to learn throughout their lives.
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