TechCrunch: "AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they're the most resilient"

SignalFire's State of Talent report shows that while AI dominates layoff headlines, engineers are actually gaining share of new hires across 2026. The data undercuts the "AI replaces coders" narrative and reframes the labor story around reskilling, AI tool fluency, and rising dem

The piece complements two other June 24 TechCrunch stories: "Companies are scrambling to stop employees from maxing out AI budgets with small tasks" (the era of "token rationing" replacing "tokenmaxxing") and "AI researchers continue to leave Google for its rivals" — together sketching a 2026 labor market where AI tooling is the most valuable skill, even as headcount for non-engineering roles contracts.