The 2026 State of IT Staffing: Trends in Hiring, AI, and Offshore

"Both things are true. Software jobs are projected to grow 15%, and 74% of employers say they can't fill the roles. That's the whole story of IT staffing in 2026."

This week on Startup Hustle, Matt Brown, Full Scale's head of marketing, put me in the guest chair to walk through our new State of IT Staffing report, a data-heavy look at where tech hiring actually stands heading into 2026.

Here's what you'll get out of it:

⚡ The 2026 paradox, why the field isn't shrinking but the entry ramp into it is breaking, with new-grad hiring down 65% at big tech

⚡ Why the job shifted from "engineering" back to "development," and why AI made product thinking the scarce skill

⚡ Why AI sped up the typing but left the judgment exactly as hard, so the value moved to senior people

⚡ Why retention is the number the industry can't fake, and why AI turned it from nice-to-have into the whole game

⚡ Why software has never been cheaper to build, and why that's a reason to build more, not cut

If you're hiring engineers, leading a team, or building a career in software, this one is worth your time.

⏱️ Episode Breakdown

00:33 Introduction and overview of the episode

02:39 Full scale's employee satisfaction and recognition