IT jobs report: Demand for AI fluency rises

AI fluency has become a critical competitive requirement across IT hiring, with 75% of US technology job openings now requiring AI skills—a 178% year-over-year increase—fundamentally reshaping workforce demands and driving talent competition in major metros. Enterprise integration skills are exploding in demand (638% YoY growth), revealing that organizations are prioritizing the ability to connect AI systems to existing infrastructure and enterprise data over building AI from scratch, which has significant implications for IT skill development and recruitment strategies. CIOs must urgently address the talent gap by developing internal AI competency programs, restructuring teams around integration and enterprise AI skills, and competing for talent in high-growth markets like New York, Washington, and Dallas.