Alexandra Reser

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! As we all sift through the mound of emails we accumulated during time off with our families, here is a picture on hiring in 2026 in Phoenix. Phoenix Tech Hiring Update: January 2026 Demand backdrop: Arizona is still showing real demand, but hiring is selective. The BLS reported 149,000 job openings in Arizona in June 2025, with a 4.4% job openings rate. The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity reports unemployment at 4.3% in November 2025. Talent supply: CBRE reports Phoenix’s tech talent pool reached 102,540 in 2024, up 5.6% from 2021 to 2024. From 2021 to 2023, Phoenix produced 17,949 tech graduates while only 5,400 tech jobs were added, which is a strong pipeline, but more competition in generalist lanes. National signal: CompTIA reported about 436,000 active tech job postings in November 2025. Their AI Hiring Intent Index found 41% of active tech postings were either dedicated AI roles or roles requiring some level of AI skills. Work model reality: Robert Half data shows 24% of new U.S. postings in Q3 2025 were hybrid and 12% fully remote. Their job seeker research also found only 19% prefer fully in office, while about half prefer hybrid and about a quarter prefer fully remote. Semiconductor tailwind: The CHIPS award to TSMC Arizona includes up to $6.6B in direct funding to support planned investment of more than $65B in three leading edge fabs in Phoenix. Bottom line: Phoenix is selective, but opportunity rich. Teams that calibrate requirements to the real local talent mix, move decisively through interviews, and use flexibility strategically will fill roles faster in 2026. What trends are you seeing right now: longer interview cycles, tighter requirements, or candidates becoming more open to hybrid than last year?

11

1 Comment

IT service desks are under pressure to do more with less. Aternity Self-Service delivers a smarter way forward—with agentic AI that automates triage, diagnosis, and remediation to reduce ticket noise, accelerate resolution, and empower employees to self-heal issues in real time. Learn how this modern approach can cut incidents by up to 60% and transform IT efficiency: https://rvbd.ly/4o9BJq4

4

When Hiring Freezes… Talent Doesn’t Wait Hiring freezes are common right now. But here’s the catch: 💡 High performers are still exploring 💡 Competitors are still building pipelines 💡 Delays now = missed opportunity later Smart companies are using this time to: ✅ Build bench strength with contractors ✅ Line up talent for Q3/Q4 ✅ Strengthen internal teams before crunch time Waiting to hire doesn’t mean you should stop planning #HiringStrategy #FinanceTalent #RecruitmentPlanning #isgSearch

9