Linux Foundation projects 31% IT growth

The Linux Foundation said on May 18 that its 2026 State of Tech Talent Report projects a 31% net increase in IT hiring in 2026, even as companies report persistent gaps in security, operations and cost-management skills. The report, released during Open Source Summit North America, says AI is expanding technical hiring rather than reducing it, while shifting demand toward roles tied to operating, securing and optimizing enterprise systems. The foundation said 97% of organizations plan to use AI, but many are not prepared to manage it at scale. The report was produced with LF Research, Linux Foundation Education and KodeKloud. ### Where is the hiring growth showing up? The Linux Foundation’s May 2026 report says AI is “a net driver of job creation in IT,” with aggregated net hiring effects of 26% in 2025 and 31% in 2026. The same report says understaffing remains widespread in AI, at 47% of organizations, in cybersecurity at 40%, in cost optimization at 36%, and in platform engineering at 34%. (linuxfoundation.org) Those figures point to hiring demand in infrastructure-heavy functions rather than broad-based application development. The report itself identifies capability gaps in AI and security operations at 57% of organizations, and says security and privacy concerns have become the leading barrier to getting value from new technologies. (linuxfoundation.org) ### Why are security and operations at the center? The Linux Foundation said security concerns rose to 48% in 2026 from 17% in 2024 as the top barrier to AI adoption. It also said 57% of respondents reported a significant capacity gap in security and risk management, while 43% said security concerns were preventing their organizations from getting value from AI, ahead of cost-management challenges at 36%. (linuxfoundation.org) Clyde Seepersad, senior vice president and general manager of education at the Linux Foundation, said the data showed “AI security and operations roadblocks remain, but net hiring is growing and real business value is being found in upskilling current teams.” His comments were included in the foundation’s release announcing the report. (linuxfoundation.org) ### Are companies planning to hire their way out of the gap? The report says upskilling existing staff is the primary response to talent shortages, cited by 57% of organizations, ahead of external hiring at 49%. It also says organizations are 3.5 times more likely to upskill than hire across strategic technology domains. (linuxfoundation.org) The Linux Foundation said employers favor upskilling because it preserves business context and lowers cost. In the report, upskilling is described as having a 7.9-times advantage in business context, a 7.7-times advantage in retention, a 7.3-times advantage in team cohesion and a five-times advantage in total cost over external hiring. (linuxfoundation.org) ### What does the report say about entry-level and credentials? The Linux Foundation said the projected 2026 hiring growth includes an 8% boost for entry-level IT roles. That detail matters because much of the public debate around AI has centered on whether automation will erase junior technology jobs. (linuxfoundation.org) The same report says 76% of hiring managers consider certifications important when evaluating a candidate’s technical skills. Technical training ranked above compensation as a retention strategy, at 93% versus 91%, according to the report. ### What should readers watch next? The Linux Foundation has published the full 2026 State of Tech Talent Report and an accompanying infographic on its research site. (linuxfoundation.org) The report names Marco Gerosa of Northern Arizona University, Adrienn Lawson of the Linux Foundation and Anna Hermansen of the Linux Foundation as authors. (linuxfoundation.org 1) (linuxfoundation.org 2)