Report: US developer postings up 15% since AI coding era, junior roles down 20%
According to a CNBC report, Indeed Hiring Lab data shows U.S. software development job postings rose nearly 15% since Anthropic released Claude Code in February 2025, while overall hiring fell 7% over the same period. Growth was concentrated in senior and AI-related roles: senior positions accounted for 71% of software development hiring growth from May 2025 to May 2026, and roles with AI in the title made up 37%. Stanford's 2026 AI Index found employment for 22- to 25-year-olds in AI-related fields fell 16% since generative AI emerged, with early-career software developers down about 20%, while the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects software developer employment to grow 10% from 2025 to 2035, from roughly 1.72 million to 1.89 million.
The data suggests AI coding tools have not caused mass developer unemployment, but they are shifting demand toward senior and AI-related roles, making entry into software development harder for juniors.