The Agency for the Development of Employment (ADEM) has published the third edition of its Employment Zoom, a series of thematic studies on major labour market developments. This new analysis focuses this time on the IT sector, which has been historically dynamic but is currently in a slowdown phase.
An unexpected decline in a sector of the future
Since the end of 2022, the number of IT posts reported to ADEM has fallen markedly – a more pronounced decline than in other sectors. In particular, the computer programming and consultancy services (NACE J-62), which were once very promising, suffered a sharp decline: after a peak of 2280 vacancies in 2022, the figures decreased by 24% in 2023 and by 41% in 2024.
The most affected profiles? Developers, analysts, IT consultants and SI project managers, i.e. the traditional pillars of IT.
Encrypted data, enriched with field returns
In addition to quantitative analysis based on job vacancies and applicant profiles, the study also includes qualitative interviews with seven companies in the sector. These testimonies provide a better understanding of the causes of the slowdown: strategic reorientation, reduction of projects, but also changes in skills needs.
Artificial intelligence is a game changer
Another part of Zoom Emploi highlights the rise of artificial intelligence. In 2024, 950 positions reported a need for AI skills, of which more than half (504) were in the IT sector. This represents 2.5% of posts reported to ADEM – a strong increase compared to 2015 (0.4%).
Machine learning skills are currently the most in demand, while generative AI is growing rapidly. A specific study on this subject will be published shortly.