A new report from iCIMS, a talent acquisition technology provider, reveals that despite a general slowdown in hiring, demand for technology-related jobs remains strong, fueled by the growth of AI. The iCIMS Insights March 2025 Workforce Report provides insights into hiring and application activity for tech roles across various industries.
Tech job market trends: High demand, selective hiring
The report, drawing on proprietary data from thousands of organizations and a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, highlights several key trends in the tech job market:
- Increased applications: Applications for tech roles increased significantly, jumping 28% year-over-year from February 2024. Job openings in tech also rose by 11% in the same period.
- Slower hiring: Despite the increase in applications and openings, hires for tech positions were down 3% year-over-year.
- Longer time-to-fill: The time-to-fill (TTF) for tech jobs increased from 48 days in February 2024 to 51 days in February 2025, suggesting that recruiters may be struggling to find candidates with the right skills.
- Applicant demographics: Younger workers (aged 18-24) comprised 58% of applicants for tech roles, and those under 35 represented 78% of applicants. Applications from both men and women increased significantly, outpacing the overall labor market.
- High salaries were the main driver for people to apply (57%).
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The report also explores the impact of AI on job seeker behavior, finding that a significant portion of job seekers (21%) feel unprepared for AI-driven challenges in the workplace. Concerns about ageism and AI skills gaps may be contributing to a decline in older applicants for tech roles, with 57% of baby boomers expressing no interest in pursuing a tech career. The report highlights potential gender differences, with women more likely than men to report feeling unprepared for AI-driven changes and less likely to believe that AI literacy is a current job requirement.
iCIMS recently received TrustArc’s TRUSTe Responsible AI Certification, and the company’s 2025 Winter Release includes generative AI features for its Digital Assistant.
Featured image credit: Isabel Lee/Unsplash
