“While there is an increase in the number of federal IT employment recruitment in 2025, businesses need to be highly selective in employers and the number of requirements that require candidates is rising. Many of us at Requisite can report an increase in specialized skills and AI.
However, he said tech workers in the Midwest are facing uncertainty due to changes in economic situations, rising AI and several layoffs.
“Nationwide, the tech and software sector has contracted over the last 18 months due to capital investment,” said Jake Budler, vice president of platforms at Endeavor, a global nonprofit organization supporting impactful entrepreneurs. “However, Nontech companies are growing as they put more technology into their efforts and drive growth in sectors like Healthcare Tech in the Midwest.”
Statistically, according to the Kentucky Statistical Center, employment categorized into the computer and information technology categories fell by 1.2% in 2024 and 2024 in 2024.
“Overall, we saw healthcare, utilities, banking/finance and manufacturing leading the way in leading the needs of technology positions,” says Rittmuller.
This included healthy employment cycles in Louisville companies' areas, including Stockyard Bank, LG&E, and 360 Care. Early 2025 Hot Jobs include infrastructure roles such as network engineers, hardware help, desktop support roles, and software developers.
“We are pleased to announce that we are committed to providing a range of services and services to our TCI Pro Louisville offices,” said Dan Lutes, Senior Business Development Manager.
“Time knows how AI technology evolves, and businesses are always looking to leverage AI advances within their duties and requirements to automate threats and generate efficiency. Most technology roles require critical input.
According to Sam Smith, senior vice president of ASB Resources at the Louisville office, tech companies offering AI solutions as services such as data governance have skyrocketed in consulting technology sales over the past 12 months.
Over that same period, Kentucky's healthcare, manufacturing and travel/logistics departments have also seen an increase in demand for generating AI and advanced analytics, he said.
“We are partnering with platforms such as IBM Watsonx and AWS to prioritize scalable solutions that reduce costs and reduce decision-making, reflecting our focus on technology that increases productivity. “Customers can leverage these tools with actionable results, automate workflows, reduce operational risks, and unlock data-driven insights.”
Smith said ASB Resource's data/AI solution practices are relatively new to Louisville and began as a project staff company providing interim technical resources.
AI rises
“We are currently investing heavily in the Louisville market,” he said. “We are targeting triple digit growth over the next 12 months, and are safely expanding our local business by doubling our AI governance framework (IBM and AWS), hybrid cloud solutions (AWS/REDHAT/DATABRICKS), and industry-specific workflow automation (Watsonx/Servicenow).”
Smith's view is that tariffs and uncertainty in 2025 have begun to affect companies' local technology investment decisions. His company “I have experienced several projects that were put on hold until the uncertainty surrounding tariffs was resolved. I think once the uncertainty is resolved, the project will start to increase again.”
Budler claims that the market is seeing technology solutions that will enhance industry disruption and acceleration for change as it moves from startups to growth cycles over the past 12 months. He sees several companies in various stages of growth.
Promises in the Kentucky region will use technology to leverage industry knowledge for new twists in solutions to guide SWELL, field soldiers and guide veterans with health care. Treehouse, a software-enabled installation platform for electrification projects that moved part of its operations from the West Coast to Louisville. It features 820 Solar and sister company Brightwell Capital, a workflow management solution for large solar installations.
“Northern Kentucky continues to be a hub for applied AI startups thanks to support from investment capital, business accelerators and incubators,” Budler said.
Success story of specialized skills
Other large and established Kentucky businesses and those seeking to grow cities have successfully collaborated with Interpapt in Louisville, offering a unique apprenticeship training model along with software engineering and data science services. Interpapt currently has 370 employees in 40 states and is headquartered in Louisville, which began in 2011.
“Five years after the pandemic, we continue to recognize the need for professional skills and services,” said Ankur Gopal, founder of Interapt. “Our clients are looking for a data science skill set and work with them to help recruit new talent, from university graduates to veterans to veterans, veterans, people who are automated in their jobs, to those who are looking for new technical skills.”
While Interapt continues to focus on providing IT services, its unique talent development model includes managing apprenticeships for a year, allowing Interpapt to help clients set up internal carrier paths. Over the past three years, the company has expanded to local, state and federal regional government sectors that provide cybersecurity, data science, AI and software engineering services.
Gopal showed that new models of high-tech skills are being implemented in communities seeking growth patterns. His team has partnered with the city of Frankfort for several years, helping to create a pathway that aligns with the city's goal of investing in local residents and filling in essential jobs. And now he brings the model to western Kentucky with a similar skill training approach, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity, data science and software engineering.
“Because of the economic volatility seen in today's markets, including interest rates, employers are looking for turnkey solutions that will help ensure the workforce in areas where interplay is critical,” added Gopal.
The strong interest in IT governance and policy development was noted in the spring of 2025 at a professional senior IT leader dinner for more than 40 local executives, hosted by Talk, a Louisville employer-led nonprofit technology council.
“Today, key conversations for large corporate players in the industry will include the importance of having a comprehensive inventory of AI models, ensuring the quality and rights of data training, and maintaining transparency and accountability in AI forecasts,” Smith said.
