New Report: AI Is Creating More Tech Jobs in Europe Than It's Eliminating

A new Linux Foundation report shows AI is driving a net hiring effect of +27% across European tech organizations in 2026. The real barrier to AI value isn't the technology itself, t's the foundational readiness to deploy it safely.Key takeawaysEuropean organizations expect a +27% net hiring effect from AI in 2026, with smaller organizations trending most positive.Security concerns (51%) and skills gaps (44%) are the top barriers to realizing AI value -- not the technology itself.Organizations are 3.7x more likely to upskill existing staff than hire externally for AI and strategic tech roles.Open source is the leading strategy for AI implementation among European organizations, cited by 54% of respondents.The dominant narrative around AI and employment has been one of displacement. But a new report from the Linux Foundation and LF Research tells a more complicated story: in Europe, artificial intelligence is a net job creator, at least for now.The 2026 State of Tech Talent Europe report, surveyed European organizations across multiple sectors and found an aggregated net hiring effect of +27% expected in 2026, dropping to +17% in 2027. It's a solid signal that AI adoption is opening roles faster than it's closing them, at least at the organizational level.