Recently, a survey conducted by Dice in the tech industry revealed that despite numerous challenges faced by the job market in the tech sector over the past year, the attitudes of professionals have shown a complex picture. According to a survey of 910 tech professionals and employers, although there is a short-term pessimism about the economy, optimism about the future still exists.

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The survey results indicate that 31% of tech professionals are cautiously optimistic about the economic situation for the next year, yet an equal 31% feel pessimistic. Notably, younger professionals, especially those aged 18 to 34, are the least optimistic about the economy, with only 20% expressing optimism.

Despite a decline in confidence in the current economic situation, expectations for the future remain high. The survey shows that about 80% of tech professionals expect the industry to continue growing over the next five years. However, facing an uncertain market, many feel their negotiating power is declining, hence they are reluctant to take risks easily.

The survey also points out that although confidence is falling, the desire to seek new jobs is rising. This year, 39% of tech professionals are actively looking for jobs, an increase of 7 percentage points from last year. Meanwhile, the proportion of professionals considering changing jobs has also risen to 67%, compared to 60% last year.

Furthermore, regarding the use of generative AI (gen AI), the attitudes of tech professionals are not entirely positive. In the survey, more than one-third of tech professionals said they have never used generative AI tools, while only 30% said they use them at least once a week. The highest usage frequency is among those aged 18 to 34, reaching 38%. Only 8% of professionals said their companies have restrictions on the use of these tools.

Among professionals in the AI field, confidence in future career development is significantly higher than that of other tech professionals. The survey shows that 58% of AI professionals are optimistic about their career advancement, compared to only 36% of other tech professionals. At the same time, 73% of AI professionals plan to change jobs within the next year, significantly higher than the 65% of general tech professionals.

Overall, AI professionals are more inclined to seek positions in large companies, with 29% hoping to join major tech companies, compared to only 18% of other tech professionals. They hope to participate in AI projects with higher budgets and higher visibility, but at the same time, more than half of AI professionals believe that the AI projects they are involved in have little strategic value to the company.

Key Points:

- 🔍31% of tech professionals are cautiously optimistic about the economy next year, while the other half feel pessimistic.

- 📈39% of tech professionals are actively looking for jobs, and 67% are considering changing jobs.

- 🤖73% of AI professionals plan to change jobs next year, showing a strong expectation for career development.