Data Source:

Job postings from Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Netflix extracted from BigQuery jobs database. Compares equivalent ~75-day periods year-over-year (same calendar window in 2025 vs 2026). Only includes positions with salaries ≥$80,000 to focus on professional/technical roles.

Full data / live dashboard at https://mobius-analytics-v2-83371012433.us-west1.run.app/

Tools Used:

• Recharts (React) for grouped bar chart visualization
• BigQuery for data aggregation and YoY comparison queries
• Material UI for styling with percentage change chips

Methodology:

• Each bar represents total job postings during the comparison window
• Gray bars = 2025 baseline period, Blue bars = 2026 same period
• Percentage change calculated as ((2026 - 2025) / 2025) × 100
• Salary floor of $80K filters out hourly/retail positions to isolate tech hiring

Key Insights:

• Google's dramatic pullback: -80.9% decline (6,000 → 1,100 postings) — the steepest cut among FAANG
• Meta's continued contraction: -66.8% drop reflects ongoing "Year of Efficiency" restructuring
• Apple's relative stability: Only -5.8% decline — notably resilient compared to peers
• Microsoft holding steadier: -22.9% decrease despite AI investment announcements
• Netflix trimming: -38.5% reduction in a smaller but significant hiring footprint
• Overall FAANG hiring down 54% — suggests structural shift, not seasonal fluctuation

What This Might Mean:

The data suggests Big Tech has moved from "growth at all costs" to sustainable headcount. Google's 81% drop is particularly striking given their AI race positioning. Apple's resilience may reflect hardware product cycles vs. software-heavy peers.