Culture Archives (10/10/2024)

The resilience of large IT firms and their ability to adapt to new technologies could help shorten the downturn. The situation will depend on how global economic conditions evolve throughout 2024. Experts are predicting a potential recession could begin globally in late 2024 – with a probability of around 35%, according to recent forecasts.

Tighter monetary policy restricts IT investments and access to capital. In India, recovery might be faster thanks to cost-effective labor, a large skilled workforce, and the sector’s adaptability. While not officially in a recession, several indicators show signs of deceleration. Rising operational costs, inflation, and the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence (AI) have resulted in widespread layoffs. The 2008 recession was triggered by the collapse of major U.S. financial institutions.

Tech Layoffs and Funding Crunch

A recession in the IT sector occurs when technology companies face economic challenges – leading to slower growth and reduced spending. While not officially in a recession, the industry is clearly under strain, facing reduced global demand, major layoffs, and disruption from emerging technologies like AI. Global economic issues, reduced outsourcing, and tech layoffs are affecting major companies like TCS, Infosys, and Wipro. The Indian IT sector experienced notable downturns during the global economic recessions of 2001 and 2008.

Fed surveys indicate that around 60% of U.S. families own stocks, with exposure concentrated among higher-income households who account for 45% to 50% of consumer spending.” And it would still be likely to inflict a severe negative economic blow, not least because U.S. households are considerably more exposed to an equity selloff than they were 25 years ago. The average of all these benchmarks suggests a fall in tech stocks of around 25%,” Slater continued.

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The pressure to deliver more with less leads to scaled-down operations and reduced hiring. “If those are the only headlines you’re reading, it doesn’t tell the whole story of the economy,” Zhao said. Therefore, it’s important to remember that the economy is bigger than the “Magnificent Seven,” he said. Now companies are not hiring or are only backfilling turnover.” “When you have over 100,000 computer science graduates coming out of school and hitting a brick wall, they have a right to feel that the industry is not living up to its promise,” Zhao said.

Continue this article in the Hirist app to get personalised tech job recommendations. Yes, technology can improve efficiency – helping businesses adapt and survive during a recession. Recessions typically last between 6 months to 2 years – depending on economic conditions and recovery efforts. If you’re looking to boost your career during this period, be sure to visit Hirist – a great platform to find the best IT jobs in India.

IT Sector Recession 2024-25: Start and End Predictions

“Tech, especially in the Bay Area, had been attractive because it promised accessible, high-paying jobs. Zhao from Glassdoor notes that it might get worse before it gets better, especially with federal government workers unexpectedly entering the job market. With a few engineers able to do the work of sophisticated large teams, there’s a feeling that engineering jobs are being eliminated as AI is more widely adopted.

Julia Hu opted to start an vegas casino apk AI brand strategy firm with a friend after getting laid off as director of software engineering at Eventbrite in 2023. AI coding editors like Cursor and Windsurf can generate original code from natural language prompts, supercharging software engineers’ productivity and spurring tales of “tiny team” success (opens in new tab). “Apply to your second- and third-choice companies,” he tells students. But worker sentiments are often more intuitive than quantifiable. “I would encourage workers to broaden their view when looking for a new job,” she said.

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Many companies have cut jobs due to rising costs, economic uncertainty, and the increasing adoption of AI. A potential recession could last between six to twelve months, depending on how quickly global economies stabilize and how fast IT spending rebounds. A recession is a period of economic decline, typically marked by reduced GDP, falling income, lower consumer spending, and rising unemployment. Even though tech overall is still in growth mode, the sputtering of the job market isn’t trivial. Outside the information and professional service sectors, manufacturing, retail, finance, transportation, and healthcare have all seen upticks in postings for tech jobs.

Is IT Sector in Recession Right Now?

“Other industries need tech workers too,” said Rachel Sederberg, director of research at Lightcast. But he’s no longer a software engineer; instead, he’ll be a sales rep for a small AI agents startup. Feeding that anxiety, more tech workers are falling down the corporate ladder — 18% report that their pay declined in 2024, versus 11% in 2019. There are an increasing number of people stuck in job-search purgatory, anxious that their severance will run out. “I was so demoralized,” said Pretzell, who chose a career in tech for its stability. Eleanor Pringle is an award-winning senior reporter at Fortune covering news, the economy, and personal finance.

• “Apply to your second- and third-choice companies,” he tells students.
• That flood of capital is reshaping how and where money is flowing across the economy.
• But worker sentiments are often more intuitive than quantifiable.

Is the IT sector officially in a recession in 2024?

However, the sector continues to adapt and hasn’t experienced a complete downturn. The Indian IT sector isn’t in a formal recession – but it is facing challenges. These are signs of economic stress, but not a full recession yet. Recessions can last for months or even years – but they eventually end when the economy starts to grow again.

There may be some divided opinion among economists about the trajectory of the U.S. economy, but one thing they can agree on is that the tech sector—namely its investment—has been the engine driving U.S. growth. Key indicators include rising unemployment rates, reduced spending, and slowing economic growth. In India, if the global IT recession impacts the sector – recovery may also take 6 to 12 months. Many analysts believe that a formal recession may not occur – but challenges could arise in sectors reliant on global markets.

While this does not confirm a recession, it highlights the growing vulnerabilities in the global and Indian technology landscapes. As whispers of a global economic slowdown grow louder, the IT sector stands at a critical crossroads. “I had some time on my hands, so I should probably ramp up my skill set,” Hu said of pausing her job search after six months. If the industry is so bent on rejecting managers, it’s time for them to get back in “founder mode,” said Lexi Lewtan, CEO at Leopard.FYI, a professional network for women and nonbinary software engineers. Today, O’Brien said, while his students are still able to land jobs, they are often not from companies at the top of their wish lists.

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• Upskilling in trending technologies, networking, being flexible with roles or projects, and financial planning are key steps to weather the downturn.
• “Management jobs are getting pressure on both ends,” Zhao said.
• Key indicators include rising unemployment rates, reduced spending, and slowing economic growth.
• The resilience of large IT firms and their ability to adapt to new technologies could help shorten the downturn.
• The 2008 recession was triggered by the collapse of major U.S. financial institutions.

A recession is when an economy slows down for a period of time. “GDP is being driven by all this investment,” said Barry Knapp, managing partner at Ironsides Macroeconomics. A September 2025 analysis from Deutsche Bank argued that without AI-related investment, the US economy might already be in a recession. A surge in artificial intelligence infrastructure spending is lifting GDP and driving market optimism, but some experts warn the boom could be concealing underlying economic weakness.

Recession 2024 When Will It Start?

“My friends who previously had cushy, easy jobs are now working more than 10-hour days,” Pretzell said. Pretzell, after struggling for months with the “brutal and lonely process” of job hunting, started a support group with friends and acquaintances. “Those in need of a job are increasingly settling for a pay cut and reduced role, while those who remain at big firms are being tasked with implementing directives from the top about getting more done with less.”

Despite the setbacks, the Indian IT sector bounced back, supported by adaptability and demand for global outsourcing. Indian IT companies like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS witnessed reduced contract sizes, fewer client acquisitions, and a freeze on hiring. The dot-com bubble burst led to a massive wipeout of tech startups and a significant downturn for outsourcing firms in India. We’ll also offer practical tips for navigating the downturn and insights into how the industry can bounce back stronger. Morgan assigned a 35% probability of a global recession before year-end, with the likelihood increasing to 45% in 2025.

“As we go through the rest of these incredible estimates of how much capital is going to be required to build out this infrastructure to avoid seeing electricity prices continue to go up for the public, is going to require a lot of debt over time,” Knapp said. Oracle, Meta and CoreWeave have each raised billions in debt or private credit to finance new data center infrastructure. But some experts are skeptical of the sustainability of the AI-driven momentum. That flood of capital is reshaping how and where money is flowing across the economy.