developer jobs are up: postings ~11% YoY, tech workforce +1.9% projected for 2026, BLS 15% long-term growth. Rebound from 2024-25 lows
Jevons paradox
Jevons paradox
Projections are useless. The past does not predict the future.
BLS is useless for the same reason, amplified.
There is data on average software salaries and job counts.
Salaries have not grown since 2021. Inflation is high in the same time period, meaning pay is substantially down over the last five years.
Actual jobs are harder to measure but various sources all show swings of +\-5% each year.
Salaries are down 10%, and best case scenario jobs are up 5% in that same time frame.