The Tech Job Market in 2026: Openings, Quits, Hires, and Layoffs in the Information Sector
The tech job market in 2026 is slow on every side. Averaged over January through Aug 2026, the information sector posted openings at a lower rate than the economy as a whole, its workers quit and were hired at lower rates, and its layoff rate ran above the national rate, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
Information sector All employers (total nonfarm) · monthly, seasonally adjusted, January 2019 to Aug 2026
How far have tech job openings fallen?
Monthly figures are volatile; the latest month can sit close to the national rate even when the year’s average does not. The information sector had 123 thousand job openings in Aug 2026, down 55% from its peak of 274 thousand in Apr 2022. Its openings rate averaged 3.09% in 2026 so far, against 4.36% for all employers. In 2022 the two were nearly equal (6.81% and 6.85%).
Are tech workers staying put?
Yes. The information sector quits rate averaged 1.15% in 2026, compared with 1.95% for all employers, and the hires rate averaged 2.61% against 3.31%. Low quits and low hires together describe a labor market where people hold onto jobs and few new positions open, often called a low-churn market.
Are tech layoffs rising?
The information sector layoffs and discharges rate averaged 1.74% in 2026 through Aug 2026, the highest annual average since 2020 (2.02%) and above the all-employer rate of 1.07%. In 2021 and 2022, the sector’s layoff rate was close to the national rate.
Annual averages, 2019 to 2026
| Year | Openings rate | Hires rate | Quits rate | Layoffs rate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Info | All | Info | All | Info | All | Info | All | |
| 2019 | 4.68 | 4.52 | 3.31 | 3.87 | 1.6 | 2.32 | 1.35 | 1.21 |
| 2020 | 3.92 | 4.28 | 3.01 | 4.26 | 1.31 | 2.08 | 2.02 | 2.4 |
| 2021 | 5.82 | 6.38 | 3.92 | 4.34 | 1.79 | 2.71 | 1.05 | 0.97 |
| 2022 | 6.81 | 6.85 | 3.47 | 4.2 | 1.66 | 2.76 | 1.21 | 0.96 |
| 2023 | 4.35 | 5.62 | 2.42 | 3.76 | 1.35 | 2.37 | 1.11 | 1.07 |
| 2024 | 4.04 | 4.65 | 2.58 | 3.42 | 1.46 | 2.07 | 1.15 | 1.06 |
| 2025 | 4.03 | 4.28 | 2.63 | 3.32 | 1.29 | 2.02 | 1.31 | 1.12 |
| 2026* | 3.09 | 4.36 | 2.61 | 3.31 | 1.15 | 1.95 | 1.74 | 1.07 |
Percent, average of monthly seasonally adjusted rates. *2026 is January through Aug 2026; the latest month is preliminary.
What this means for MSPs and IT employers
A low-quit, low-hire market cuts both ways for managed service providers. Retention pressure is lower than in 2021 and 2022, and experienced candidates released by information sector layoffs are available. Note that JOLTS places most MSPs and IT consultancies in professional and business services rather than the information sector, so these figures describe the broader tech labor pool MSPs hire from, not MSP staffing directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is the tech job market getting better in 2026?
Not by JOLTS measures. Through Aug 2026, the information sector’s 2026 average job openings rate was 3.09%, below the 4.36% for all employers, and its layoffs rate averaged 1.74%, above the 1.07% for all employers.
How many tech job openings are there?
The information sector had 123 thousand openings in Aug 2026, seasonally adjusted, down 55% from 274 thousand in Apr 2022.
Are tech workers quitting less?
Yes. The information sector’s quits rate averaged 1.15% in 2026, compared with 1.95% for all employers.
Are tech layoffs rising?
The information sector layoffs and discharges rate averaged 1.74% in 2026 so far, its highest annual average since 2020 and above the all-employer rate of 1.07%.
What is the information sector in JOLTS?
NAICS 51: publishing including software publishers, telecommunications, data processing and hosting, broadcasting, and other information services. It is the closest JOLTS industry to the tech sector but excludes computer systems design firms, which fall under professional and business services.
Where does this data come from?
The BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), seasonally adjusted monthly estimates.
Methodology
Source. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), retrieved through the BLS Public Data API in October 2026. Series: JTS510000000000000 (information) and JTS000000000000000 (total nonfarm) for job openings rate, hires rate, quits rate, layoffs and discharges rate, and job openings level; professional and business services (JTS540099) is included in the download.
Calculations. Annual figures are simple averages of monthly seasonally adjusted rates. The decline in openings compares the latest month with the series peak since January 2019.
Limitations. JOLTS estimates are revised; the latest month is preliminary. The information sector (NAICS 51) is not the same as “tech”: it includes telecommunications and media and excludes computer systems design (NAICS 5415). Rates are national, not state-level.
Not advice. This is published labor data, not career or hiring advice.
Cite as:The Uptime Report. "The Tech Job Market in 2026: Openings, Quits, Hires, and Layoffs in the Information Sector." October 2026. https://theuptimereport.com/tech-job-market-2026-jolts/
References
- BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Accessed October 2026.
- BLS Public Data API. Accessed October 2026.
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