Dice did not report that 60% of technology workers lost their jobs. Its Q2 2024 Technology Professionals Sentiment Survey found that 16% of respondents said they had lost a job, up from 10% in the prior survey. That is a six-percentage-point increase, or 60% relative growth from the earlier 10% figure.
The online survey covered 520 U.S. technology professionals in June 2024. It points to worsening short-term job security, but also continued confidence that technology will remain a growth profession over the next five years.
What Dice’s “60% more” figure means
The calculation is straightforward:
| Measure | 2023 survey | 2024 survey |
|---|---|---|
| Respondents reporting job loss | 10% | 16% |
| Absolute change | 6 percentage points | |
| Relative change | 60% ((16 − 10) ÷ 10) | |
In other words, the share of surveyed professionals reporting job loss increased by 60% relative to its previous level. The result does not mean that 60% of all technology professionals lost jobs, or that nationwide technology layoffs rose exactly 60%.
Dice’s own report is the primary source for the comparison: Dice Tech Sentiment Report.
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Who was surveyed—and what the sample can tell you
Dice conducted its Q2 2024 Technology Professionals Sentiment Survey online by email in June 2024. The professional sample included 520 people in the United States. Dice also surveyed 390 human-resources professionals separately.
This is a self-reported opinion survey, not a payroll census, government labor-force survey, unemployment-claims series, or count of employer-announced layoffs. The June timing also matters: the findings describe respondents’ experiences and sentiment at that point in 2024 rather than a final full-year total.
Dice is a technology-focused recruiting marketplace, so its report should be read as industry sentiment research from a commercial participant, not as an independent estimate of every U.S. technology job.
Other signs of weaker job stability
Dice reported several additional changes among respondent categories:
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|---|---|---|
| Employed full time | 48% | 38% |
| Unemployed and actively seeking work | 34% | 40% |
| Reported job loss | 10% | 16% |
Among people who experienced job loss, 82% said they began looking for work immediately. Job loss was reported by 19% of technology professionals working for technology companies, compared with 11% of technology workers employed in other industries.
Those figures are respondent shares, not national employment rates. Dice also notes that its primary analysis excludes unemployed respondents to reduce possible response bias while separately reporting unemployment and job-search results. Percentages therefore need to be interpreted according to the question and analysis population rather than combined into one measure of the entire workforce.
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A difficult present alongside a more optimistic future
The survey was not uniformly negative. Only 31% of technology professionals said they were optimistic about economic conditions, yet 80% expected the technology profession to grow over the next five years.
That apparent contradiction is the report’s central theme: professionals could believe that artificial intelligence, cloud computing, cybersecurity and related fields will expand over time while facing layoffs, fewer full-time roles and cautious hiring in the near term.
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What HR professionals expected
The separate HR sample was more positive. Dice reported that 79% of HR respondents were positive about the technology industry’s outlook, and 70% expected technology hiring to increase during the remainder of 2024. Those are expectations, not evidence that hiring actually increased.
Skills respondents viewed as growth areas
Dice respondents identified these fields as areas likely to grow over the next five years:
| Field | Share expecting growth |
|---|---|
| Artificial intelligence and machine learning | 81% |
| Cybersecurity | 54% |
| Cloud | 42% |
| Big data | 36% |
| Robotics | 29% |
The report also described upskilling in AI and machine learning, cloud, cybersecurity, big data, the internet of things and robotics. These are survey expectations, not guarantees of a vacancy, salary increase or employment outcome. A secondary account is available from TechRepublic; its figures differ slightly in some categories, so the numbers above are attributed to Dice’s report.
What job seekers said they wanted
Among job seekers in the survey, 94% targeted full-time positions. The most frequently cited reasons for changing jobs were:
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- Higher compensation: 65%
- Greater responsibility: 42%
- Improved benefits: 36%
Dice also linked employer-switching plans with higher burnout, with toxic work environments and unfair pay among leading cited causes. The findings suggest that the 2024 story involved both involuntary displacement and voluntary movement by employed workers seeking better pay, benefits, responsibility or working conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the result should not be treated as a national layoff measure
- Different denominator: the 16% is a share of 520 surveyed U.S. technology professionals, not all technology workers.
- Self-reported outcome: respondents reported having lost a job; the survey does not independently verify payroll records or distinguish every type of separation.
- Limited timing: fieldwork took place in June 2024, so it is not a complete calendar-year count.
- Different populations: technology-company employees and technology workers in other industries reported different job-loss shares.
- Different measures: survey responses cannot be directly substituted for government employment, unemployment or layoff statistics.
Independent coverage from Network World likewise describes the 10%-to-16% comparison rather than a count of all industry layoffs.
Practical implications for workers and managers
For technology professionals
- Keep an active search strategy even while employed, including referrals, direct applications and recruiter relationships.
- Build demonstrable skills in areas such as AI and machine learning, cybersecurity or cloud while preserving transferable fundamentals.
- Assess total compensation, benefits, management quality and employment stability together instead of chasing salary alone.
- Consider employers outside technology companies; technology skills are also used in finance, healthcare, government, manufacturing, defense, retail and logistics.
For employers
- Expect candidates to value stability, compensation, benefits and meaningful responsibility.
- Make training and upskilling opportunities concrete, especially where new technical tools change job requirements.
- Recognize that layoffs and prolonged uncertainty can increase burnout and retention risk among remaining staff.
The accurate takeaway
Dice’s June 2024 survey found that 16% of respondents reported job loss, compared with 10% in the prior survey. Calling that “60% more” is mathematically correct as a relative comparison, but it describes a change in survey shares—not 60% of technology workers and not a verified 60% increase in national layoffs. The same survey found weaker immediate job security alongside strong expectations for technology’s longer-term growth.
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