Programmers quit their jobs: a new reality of IT market
EL.KZ Информационно-познавательный портал
Not long ago, a developer’s career was seen as a ticket to a stable future: high salaries, remote work, and steady demand. However, in 2025 the global IT market went through a major correction. After hiring during the pandemic, tech companies began optimizing their workforces. According to industry analysts, hundreds of thousands of employees in the technology sector were laid off worldwide over the past two years.
This sparked discussions about a “mass exodus” of programmers. Formally, the industry is not shrinking, but its structure is changing. Companies have become more cautious about investing in entry-level talent, demand for senior specialists has increased, and some tasks previously performed by people are now being automated using artificial intelligence tools.
Against this backdrop, psychological pressure is also growing. Studies on professional burnout in IT show that a significant share of specialists experience chronic stress, overtime work, and a sense of instability. For many, this becomes a point of career reassessment.
How a programmer became a fertiliser producer
“At 35, I was burning out as a programmer. I started making fertilizers with a chemist from a gardening group. Annual turnover: 37 million. Profit: 745
thousand for two people with 60 hours of work per month,” entrepreneur Vyacheslav Ryumin wrote on his Threads profile.
Together with his chemist partner, he launched fertilizer production. The initial capital was small. Product formulas were developed by studying the compositions of foreign analogues and open patents, after which more affordable versions were created.
Over time, production scaled up, packaging lines were fully automated introduced, and sales expanded to major marketplaces. According to the entrepreneur, the business turnover reached tens of millions of rubles per year, while the workload turned out to be significantly lower than during his active years in IT.
This story went viral not so much because of the financial figures, but because of its symbolism. It reflects the mood of a segment of specialists who no longer want to work under constant deadlines and instead prefer entrepreneurship or less stressful fields.
Kazakhstan: Industry growth without signs of mass outflow
In Kazakhstan, the situation looks different. The IT market continues to grow both in the number of companies and specialists. According to industry studies, around 187,000 people are employed in the sector, and the number of IT companies has increased by over 15% in recent years.
Average monthly salaries in the sector have risen noticeably and in major cities such as Almaty and Astana reach 700,000 - 800,000 tenge, depending on qualifications. The main concentration of specialists is in these cities.
The market still faces a shortage of qualified personnel. Backend developers, QA specialists, product managers, and cybersecurity experts are particularly in demand. In some cases, the number of vacancies exceeds the number of applicants, indicating a persistent skills gap.
The government is actively investing in talent development. In particular, the Tech Orda program is aimed at large-scale training of IT specialists and supporting private educational centers. These measures are intended to strengthen the country’s position as a regional digital hub.
Transformation instead of disapearance
Experts agree that the profession is no longer a guarantee of automatic income and status growth. It requires continuous learning, adaptation to new tools, and an understanding of business processes.
Some specialists change direction some move into their own projects, others transition into tech adjacent roles, and some take a break due to burnout. At the same time, demand is growing for highly qualified engineers who can work with cloud platforms, security, and artificial intelligence systems.
Thus, the modern IT market is not in decline, but in a phase of restructuring. The profession of a programmer remains important, but it is becoming more complex, demanding, and competitive. For some, this is a reason to leave; for others, a stimulus to reach a new level.
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