What I'm seeing is an explosion in software jobs at the small-company size level, with larger companies mostly holding steady (sans a few exceptions like Block and Oracle), as I've seen from: https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/AMZN/amazon/number.... The jobs are out there in my opinion for a competent engineer with decent AI experience (not going to comment on new grads or very high level principal+ engs, because I am neither).

That's hackertyper in that screenshot, god that takes me back.

Except that several hundred thousand software engineers have been laid off in the last couple years.

And many of them find it impossible to find a new job. And software engineering roles receive thousands, sometimes tens of thousands of applicants.

Although the reality is different from the projections, the emotional impact is severe. I sense an incredible amount of demoralized colleagues who are further dismayed from the arrogant public who are largely condescending about their skills and professions. If things recover, it will bring with it plenty of battle scars.