AI job listings surge to a record, even as broader hiring slows

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Even as the broader US job market cools, AI keeps punching above its weight.

New data from Indeed shows overall job postings ended 2025 just 6% above pre-pandemic levels, but postings that mention AI are up more than 130% since early 2020.

The standout stat: more than 1 in 25 job postings now reference AI, pushing Indeed's AI Tracker to a record 4.2% in December.

The skew is striking. Nearly 45% of data and analytics roles mention AI, compared with about 15% in marketing and 9% in HR, even as hiring across many knowledge-work fields remains weak.

As employers narrow hiring plans, AI roles are absorbing a growing share of expectations, raising a big question: Can AI carry the labor market in 2026?

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