AI has shrunk the IT job market by 36%, but I’m not worried about my job. Why the focus on AI integration and web project security has paid off

The era of widespread IT talent shortages has given way to a surplus of job seekers. The widespread adoption of large language models and the automation of basic coding have radically altered the balance of supply and demand. According to a study by CMASF expert Vladimir Artemenko, digital transformation has had the greatest impact on rank-and-file IT staff.

However, for professionals like me who know how to integrate AI into real-world business processes and secure web infrastructure, this shift has become not a threat but the main driver of growth.

Facts and figures: who is losing ground?

The growing capabilities of neural networks have led to a sharp decline in demand for professionals who perform routine tasks:

• Demand for programmers fell by 47%.
• The number of vacancies for software testers fell by 55%.
• Demand for technical support specialists, network engineers, and systems engineers has nearly halved.
• By the summer of 2025, the total number of specialized IT vacancies fell by 36% year over year.
• Competition has doubled: while three applicants previously competed for each vacancy, now there are more than six candidates for every opening.

Experts note that graduates of short-term courses and “vibe coders” face the greatest challenges. Lacking deep foundational knowledge, they use AI to generate basic code but are unable to identify and manually fix hidden errors made by the neural network.

Why I’m not worried about finding work: 2 key market drivers

While the traditional junior developer market is shrinking, demand has shifted toward solutions that deliver direct business value and security:

1. Practical AI implementation (+38% in analytics and automation): Businesses no longer need templates—they need smart assistants, automatic translation, intelligent search, and routine task automation integrated directly into their web platforms. AI is a powerful coding accelerator, but the final result still requires manual review and an understanding of HTML, CSS, JS, and PHP.
2. Web project protection and cybersecurity (+15% in demand): As digitalization accelerates, protection against cyber threats has become a critical priority. Demand for security and data protection experts is growing not only among IT giants, but also in traditional industries:
   • Food manufacturing: +88% more vacancies.
   • Healthcare and education: +36% more vacancies.
   • Transportation and logistics: +33% more vacancies.
   • Construction: +31% more vacancies.

Configuring firewalls and secure cloud infrastructure (Microsoft Azure, Cloudflare), as well as regularly monitoring CMS platforms, are tasks that artificial intelligence cannot yet handle end to end. And given that web projects will need to be protected from AI itself, humans become the key moderators in this battle. I also see that AI adoption among small and medium-sized businesses is progressing very slowly, so professionals who know how to integrate AI into business operations will have strong growth potential in the near future. The market has also been flooded with “vibe coders,” who are more likely to break businesses, websites, and established processes … and this, too, is a strong driver of demand for skilled professionals.

• For developers: The days of superficial coding are over. Those who have an in-depth understanding of core technologies, know how to craft effective prompts, and can manage security are the ones who come out ahead.
• For businesses: The best strategy is not to abandon web development, but to combine the speed of AI with human code review and comprehensive protection of digital assets.