Oracle cuts thousands of jobs due to AI, but Belgian IT sector remains in search of personnel
The American technology company Oracle has cut approximately 21,000 jobs worldwide. This decision stems from a major strategic shift within the company. Oracle is currently investing billions in the expansion of data centers to support the enormous demand for artificial intelligence (AI), including for clients such as OpenAI.
Although the intervention at Oracle is significant, experts warn that this does not mean the IT sector is shrinking globally. On the contrary, the demand for specialized knowledge remains very high. Companies must constantly adapt to new technologies, which actually increases the need for human talent in other areas.
In Belgium, the situation in the labor market for IT specialists remains unchanged. According to the sector federation Agoria, ICT remains an official shortage occupation. This means that Belgian companies are still having great difficulty finding suitable candidates for open vacancies, despite global developments at large tech companies.
The Belgian market primarily demands people who can manage and understand complex systems. Although AI can take over certain tasks, a great deal of human oversight and expertise is still required to make these systems work safely and efficiently. The gap between the supply of employees and the demand from employers therefore remains an important point of attention for the Belgian economy.