If you're job hunting as a developer in 2026, the market feels contradictory: postings are up, yet entry-level openings are scarce. Both are true. Here are the numbers that explain it, all from primary sources (Indeed Hiring Lab, the New York Fed, CompTIA, BLS).

1. Postings are recovering, from a very low base

Indeed's software development postings index (Feb 2020 = 100) stood at 78.9 on October 16, 2026. A year earlier it was 65.0, so that's up about 21% . The low point was 61.1 in May 2025.

That still leaves postings about 21% below February 2020 and roughly two-thirds below the February 2022 peak (233.8). If you got your first job in 2021, that market is gone.

2. Software is still one of the weakest fields on Indeed

Of Indeed's 47 occupational sectors, software development ranked 6th lowest . All US postings sit at 103.8, slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Mechanical engineering is at 169 and electrical engineering at 152.

3.…