DALLAS, N.C. — Computer science students are evaluating the recent tens of thousands of job layoffs by tech giants like Microsoft and Google. 

What You Need To Know

  • According to Layoffs.fyi, tech companies have laid off more than 200,000 employees since 2022
  • Microsoft, Google and Amazon are the latest to cut more than 50,000 employees in the last few weeks
  • Students in the IT field say they are cautious about the career but believe technology jobs are still in abundance and many of these cuts stem from over hiring during the pandemic
  • Gaston College IT instructor Jimmy Warren says many companies continue to hire for IT positions 

Gaston College computer science student Portia Moore says she fell in love with computers when she was in middle school. 

"I have a love for the game Tetris, and so I used to when I was in middle school, I used to be sitting in front of a computer playing Tetris for hours, and then one day I got an application to build my own Tetris," Moore said. 

Her hobby grew into a fascination with how computers work. This May, she will graduate with an Associate of Applied Science and is focusing on cyber security. 

“I eventually want to either start my own cyber security company or be in a managerial position in a cyber security company," said Moore. 

According to tech industry tracking firm, layoffs.fyi, since 2022, nearly 200,000 tech employees have been laid off. Recently, tech giants Amazon, Google and Microsoft have cut more than 50,000 jobs, which is keeping Moore on her toes. 

“It’s a little disconcerting but at the same time, it is not unexpected," said Moore. 

Instructor Jimmy Warren has taught computer sciences for the past 25 years. He says tech giants hired thousands during the pandemic when companies sent their employees to work from home. 

“Employers want people back in the office I believe so the need for the cloud support is not there. I see these jobs transferring from cloud providers like Amazon and Google back to the local industry and local businesses that need the IT support back on premise instead of cloud-based," Warren said. 

Moore says she is not too worried on the lack of jobs in her field. She is currently working for a manufacturing company in Hickory. 

“Technology is consistently evolving and it's always changing, so even if you don’t need as many remote jobs now, not as many Zooms or Skypes or Go To Meeting, that doesn’t mean 2-3 years from now you won’t," said Moore. 

Professors say despite the massive layoffs, companies continue the need for IT jobs. 

“Absolutely there is still a need for IT, there is in every field, manufacturing, automation is becoming the norm," said Warren. 

According to Cyberseek.org, there are more than 24,700 cyber security job openings in North Carolina. 

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