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ZDNET's key takeaways
Key IT roles are being scaled back and ramped up for the AI era.
IT operations, software development, and cybersecurity are seeing both cuts and gains.
A 'reorganization of work' is reshaping job roles.
A new industry survey shows a range of cuts across several IT job categories -- but also a boost in hiring for the same types of positions.
The survey of 2,050 executives across the globe, released by Snowflake, reveals job losses due to AI, while also showing that the same occupations are benefiting from the AI trend. For example, 40% of executives surveyed report cuts to IT operations due to automation, but 56% report additional hiring for these positions. Another 26% are seeing cuts in software development jobs, but 37% also report increased hiring. For data analysts, the split is 37% and 37%.
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For jobs outside of IT, the picture is more straightforward -- and for most, less dramatic, with the exception of customer service and support staff. The customer service workforce declined by 37% among the organizations surveyed; while only 15% were increasing hiring, (You could blame AI, but outsourcing may be another culprit behind the cuts.) For manufacturing and supply-chain operations, 6% were cutting, while 13% were hiring. For marketing staff, 16% were cutting versus 12% hiring.
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