Programming employment hits an EPA record, but AI’s impact remains inconclusive
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Employment in programming and IT reached 563,400 workers in the third quarter, the highest level in the INE series. Data cited by Xataka and attributed to Business Insider put technology employment at 682,400 workers, up 2.3% year over year; programming and consulting added 31,200 workers in the period after losing 23,400 in the first quarter. Telecommunications moved in the opposite direction, losing 6,100 jobs and falling to 105,800 workers, its lowest level since 2008.
Xataka says the figures are not conclusive on AI’s impact: the 2026 annual average of employed people was 668,600, 2.8% below 2025. The first digital talent report from Mobile World Capital, meanwhile, found that demand for junior professionals fell 25.2% between 2024 and 2025, while demand for senior profiles rose 15.4%. The figure measures job postings, not employment, and Rafael Doménech of BBVA Research describes the situation as a reassignment of tasks, wages and entry opportunities.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The record level of programming employment does not, by itself, settle what is happening to entry-level opportunities: lower demand for junior professionals and higher demand for senior ones suggest a possible reshuffling within the labor market. As Rafael Doménech notes, the issue involves tasks, wages and paths into the field—not just the total number of workers.
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