The Job Landscape: Fortune 100 Companies Overlook AI Skill Demand in Hiring

A recent investigation conducted by Orgvue has laid bare the surprising gap between the hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) and its apparent demand in the job market of Fortune 100 companies. Despite the escalating narrative about the transformative effect of AI on various industries, only a mere 11 percent of recent job postings from these industry giants even mention AI, with just 6 percent asking for specific platforms or tools. This discovery prompts critical questions regarding how urgent the need for AI expertise truly is across organizational levels.

The tech sector tops the list concerning demand for AI-related skills, with 26 percent of the roles requiring such expertise. However, the enthusiasm for these skills dwindles significantly in other sectors; for instance, the financial services sector showcases only 9 percent, and healthcare companies show an even lower 8 percent. Intriguingly, the need for this technology is most pronounced in senior roles, where 18 percent of director-level positions list AI experience as a requirement, declining to just 8 percent for non-managerial roles.

Jessica Modrall, Chief Product Officer at Orgvue, emphasizes that these findings could indicate a drop in urgency to foster AI skill integration within organizations. She noted, "Our analysis reveals that the demand for AI competencies is far lower than anticipated, hinting at a mismatch between recognizing AI's potential value, the roles critical for successful implementation, and the associated skills necessary."

As companies adjust to rapid workforce transformations amid ongoing economic pressures, many narratives suggest that layoffs are primarily driven by the rise of AI. Yet, the analysis of data shows that, during the last year, Fortune 100 companies enacted over 86,000 layoffs. Notably, around 48 of these firms have undergone some form of workforce reduction, yet almost all are currently in a hiring spree — with 58,000 new job postings appearing just in July.

The disconnect is stark: Fortune 100 firms are estimated to have incurred nearly $25 billion in severance payments alone throughout 2024, with the total severance across the Fortune 500 reaching $43 billion. When considering the comprehensive costs of layoffs, it turns out organizations are paying around $1.27 per every dollar they save from workforce reduction — raising concerns about the economic wisdom of such drastic measures, especially without a clear strategy to build a workforce ready to adapt to a changing technological landscape.

Jessica Modrall further commented on this alarming pattern, saying, "We find ourselves in an era of normalized redundancies and mass layoffs, often linked to AI advancements. However, without ample workforce data regarding roles, skills, and functions, organizations risk losing invaluable institutional knowledge in a talent-scarce market. AI's rise certainly will redefine workforce dynamics, yet a critical error would be to presume that it will merely replace staff."

In stark contrast to the prevailing assumption that AI would wipe out entry-level jobs, the findings suggest a different reality; 64 percent of job postings specifically target candidates with less than five years of experience, suggesting new opportunities may be opening for younger professionals.

The study involved a careful review of 10,533 job postings from Fortune 100 companies in the U.S. over a week-long period, focusing specifically on those that announced layoffs in the previous twelve months — thereby providing insights into how such layoffs are reshaping hiring trends among leading organizations.

Individuals keen to explore more detailed findings can look at the comprehensive research report titled Fire to Hire: How Fortune 100 Companies are Using Mass Layoffs to Restructure Rather than Reduce.

About Orgvue

Orgvue provides an innovative organizational design and workforce planning platform that allows businesses to understand workforce dynamics and skill distributions. It supports aligning strategic vision with structural goals so organizations can better navigate the fast-changing work environment. Used by premier enterprises and consulting firms worldwide, Orgvue helps visualize and model both current and future organizational landscapes, thus enabling decisive, informed action.

The Research’s Backstory

This research was conducted in partnership with Method Research, with data sourced from U.S.-based job postings by Fortune 100 companies. The selected postings represented firms that recently undertook public layoffs between August 2024 and June 2025, allowing for an insightful reflection on labor market adjustments in this critical time.