August 2025 U.S. Hiring Trends: Tech, AI & Remote Job Market Insights

What Aura’s Job Data Reveals About U.S. Hiring Trends

As public jobs data faces increasing scrutiny and noise, employers and analysts are hungry for clarity. Aura’s real-time workforce analytics cut through the confusion, offering fresh insights from over 20 million companies nationwide.

The headline? Hiring is slowing, but not evenly and not everywhere. Underneath the surface, major shifts are underway in how, where, and why companies are hiring.

Curious how your sector compares? Explore Aura’s platform for real-time, tailored hiring insights.

U.S. Tech Hiring Is Cooling, But Not Collapsing

Software engineering postings dropped from a March high of 170,000 to under 150,000 by July, suggesting a sustained mid-year cool down. AI roles followed a similar arc, declining from 80,000 in February to just over 50,000 in June, with a slight rebound in July.

Overall Software Job Trends

This chart shows the total number of software engineering roles posted in the U.S. over time, highlighting a gradual decline from spring highs.

Overall AI Job Trends

AI-related job postings have followed a steeper curve, with volume dropping through Q2 before showing early signs of stabilization.

Despite the declines, the share of AI hires within total software roles has held relatively consistent between 11 and 15% of all software jobs. That consistency signals continued strategic prioritization of AI, even as hiring slows overall.

Which States Are Gaining (and Losing) Job Momentum

While aggregate job numbers are useful, they often blur what's actually happening on the ground. Aura’s data shows South Dakota, Connecticut, and Wyoming led in month-over-month job posting growth, outpacing larger states like Texas and Virginia, which declined or stagnated.

Overall Job Posting Trends by US State

This map reflects state-level job posting volumes and month-over-month changes, showing which regions are expanding or pulling back.

In software specifically, California remains dominant in absolute terms, with over 18,000 roles open, but states like Georgia and New Jersey are quietly accelerating. In AI, smaller states posted the largest growth rates. South Dakota, for example, saw a 164% jump in AI postings last month.

Top States for Software Hiring

This chart ranks U.S. states by volume of software engineering job postings, revealing regional trends in tech talent demand.

AI Job Trends by State

Here we see how AI job postings are distributed geographically, with a few non-coastal states showing notable momentum.

AI and Software Hiring Is Expanding Beyond Big Tech    

The concentration of AI and software job growth in non-traditional industries is one of the clearest shifts in this cycle.

Top Industries for Software Hiring

This breakdown shows the industries driving demand for software engineers, including some unexpected players.

Percentage Change in AI Hiring by Industry

This view compares AI job growth across sectors, highlighting where AI investment is increasing most rapidly.

Retail and education, by contrast, saw steep AI hiring declines. These swings highlight the uneven digital transformation timelines across sectors.

Related Insight: AI Job Trends for 2025: Where the Roles Are Surging
Discover which sectors are doubling down on AI talent this year.

Staffing and Recruiting Firms Are Shaping the Market

While industry hiring cooled overall, staffing and recruiting firms surged ahead, leading all sectors in total job postings, including software and AI.  

Job Posting Trends by Industry

This chart shows job posting volume and month-over-month change across top-level industries.

This reinforces what Aura’s data flagged early in Q2: companies are turning to intermediaries to fill roles more flexibly, especially in volatile or specialized areas like AI.

Remote Work Is Flattening    

Remote job postings rose slightly in July after months of decline, moving from 6.7% of total roles in June to 7.4%. While this is still down from earlier highs, it may suggest stabilization.

Industries like event services and medical devices saw notable upticks in remote postings, while retail fell sharply.

Top Software Skills in 2025: Communication + Cloud    

“Business English” remains the top skill sought in software roles, followed by APIs, AWS, and machine learning. This isn’t about soft skills versus technical ones. It’s about hybrid fluency: engineers who can build, explain, and collaborate.

Top Skills for Software Jobs

This chart ranks the most in-demand skills for software engineering roles, showing the emphasis on both technical and communication skills.

Who’s Still Hiring? Big Tech and Enterprise Leaders 

Amazon, Microsoft, and Deloitte continue to lead in software engineering hiring. Other consulting and enterprise tech firms, such as PwC, EY, and Enterprise Solutions, are also near the top.

Top Companies Hiring Software

This chart highlights the companies with the highest volume of software job postings in the U.S.

Their presence reinforces that demand is still strong for long-term tech investments, especially in enterprise services and cloud transformation.

The U.S. Job Market Is Rebalancing, Not Retreating

Across all three categories —general, software, and AI —hiring is moderating. But the direction is less important than the distribution.

We’re seeing regional spikes, industry-specific surges, and ongoing demand for high-skill roles. In other words, this isn’t a collapse. It’s a recalibration.

Aura's early signals from Q2 picked up the slowing before public revisions confirmed it. That same platform now shows which sectors are stabilizing, where remote is rebounding, and how talent sourcing is shifting.

This kind of intelligence is crucial in times like these: when public signals are murky, but the labor market is shifting in real time beneath the surface.

Want to future-proof your hiring strategy and competitive business analytics? Aura’s platform delivers early signals and sector-specific trends that others miss. Request a demo today and gain a competitive edge.