McKinsey’s latest study on the tech labor market highlights a startling gap between in-demand skills and workforce availability. While job postings for emerging tech roles like agentic AI have surged—rising 985% between 2023 and 2024—many job seekers are chasing trends that aren’t hiring.
Prompt engineering, often touted as a hot skill for the AI age, has quickly become oversupplied. Only 12% of AI-related job listings ask for it, yet available talent outpaces demand nearly 4 to 1. Similarly, blockchain, once a buzzy frontier, is now only sought by 4% of companies, with skill supply exceeding demand by nearly fourfold.
Python: The Undisputed MVP
Python stands out as the most valuable skill across the board. It’s in high demand for everything from web development and AI to semiconductors and quantum computing. The study shows:
- 57% of agentic AI job postings require Python.
- It’s the top skill for semiconductors (seen in 37% of listings) and cloud/edge projects (25%).
- Talent availability only meets about half the demand.
Python also tops ZDNET’s programming popularity rankings and is becoming indispensable for fields like immersive reality and quantum computing—both suffering from critical skill shortages.
AWS and Quantum: Big Gaps, Bigger Opportunities
Amazon Web Services (AWS) expertise is another crucial area where supply lags behind demand. For basic AI, edge, and cloud projects, AWS skills are nearly absent in the available labor pool. The mismatch is so extreme that even basic AWS knowledge makes candidates highly valuable.
Quantum computing represents the biggest gap. Though job postings in the field have dropped 15% recently, the need for qualified professionals remains severe. Companies report that demand outstrips supply by a factor of five—making this one of the rarest and most lucrative areas for tech professionals.
What’s Really Hot — and What’s Not
McKinsey ranked the most in-demand skills by emerging technology sector:
- Agentic AI: Python, Machine Learning, PyTorch
- Artificial Intelligence: Machine Learning, Python, AWS
- Semiconductors: Python, Computer Science, GPUs
- Cybersecurity: Risk Management, Incident Response, AI
- Cloud/Edge: AWS, Python, DevOps
Meanwhile, immersive-reality, advanced connectivity, and even quantum computing saw a dip in job postings—but demand for specific skills within these sectors remains unmet. In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, chasing hype isn’t enough. McKinsey’s data shows that traditional, foundational skills—especially Python and AWS—continue to dominate hiring pipelines. For professionals, the message is clear: build skills where demand is real, and you’ll be ready for the future.