Amazon, for example, hired about 18,000 interns this year and paid some computer science majors nearly $30,000 for summer vacation, not including housing stipends. The company is now considering cutting the number of interns by more than half in 2023, said a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly.
More about Big Tech
- Microsoft: The company’s $69 billion deal to buy Activision Blizzard is contingent on approval from 16 governments, in what has become a test of whether tech giants can buy companies amid fierce opposition.
- apple: Apple’s largest iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, China, is dealing with a shortage of workers. Now, the factory is getting help from an unlikely source: the Chinese government.
- Amazon: The company appears poised to lay off about 10,000 corporate and technology workers, which would be the largest layoff in the company’s history.
- Yuan: Facebook’s parent company says it will cut more than 11,000 jobs, about 13% of its workforce
Amazon spokesman Brad Glasser said the company is committed to its internship program and the real-world experience it provides. A Meta spokeswoman pointed to a letter from CEO Mark Zuckerberg to employees last month announcing the company’s planned layoffs.
The hiring plans of smaller tech companies are also changing. Roblox, a popular gaming platform, said it plans to hire 300 interns next summer — nearly double this year — and expects more than 50,000 applications. Redfin, which hired 38 interns this summer, said it has canceled programs for next year.
There are still good jobs for computer science students, and the field is still growing.Employment of software developers and testers is projected to grow 25 percent from 2021 to 2031, creating more than 411,000 new jobs, according to forecasts Bureau of Labor Statistics. But many of those jobs are in fields like finance and the auto industry.
“Students are still getting multiple job offers,” said Brent Winkelman, chair of the computer science department at UT Austin. “They probably won’t come from Meta or Twitter or Amazon. They’ll come from companies like GM or Toyota or Lockheed.”
University career centers have become a sounding board for anxious students about to enter the tech job market. At career counselor offices, searches for Plan B have increased.
Some students are applying to lesser-known tech companies. Others are looking for tech jobs outside of industry, at retailers like Walmart or at government agencies and nonprofits. Graduate school is also an option.
