During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amazon was one of many tech companies that rapidly ramped up hiring to meet demand in a new, locked-down business paradigm. Other organizations, seeking to support all-remote workforces, followed suit, as tech hiring — and salaries — reached unprecedented heights.
But the boom didn’t last long, as Amazon along with Google, Meta, Microsoft, and other prominent enterprises collectively laid off more than 100,000 employees in 2022 to re-adjust to a world emerging from the pandemic. Now, just three years later, AI has risen to become another massive disruptor for tech employment, with organizations increasingly announcing workforce cuts to make room for AI talent and investments.
According to PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer, 100% of industries are increasing AI usage, and wages in the most AI-exposed industries are rising twice as fast as the least exposed. As a result, demand is spiking for AI skills — skills that are evolving 66% faster than non-AI skills, which is 2.5 times faster than just last year.
