> I have worked in “big data”, “data science” or something adjacent for around 12 years, and in that time I have observed these fields (and their associated rol

> I have worked in “big data”, “data science” or something adjacent for around 12 years, and in that time I have observed these fields (and their associated roles) change a lot. I had never thought about it much because it was never very difficult to find work, however, recent times have been a bit different because my neck of the woods Nah, recent times have been "different" for everyone. If the author entered the job market in 2011, then this is the first economic recession they have seen. Economic downturns happen roughly every 10-12 years or so and generally cause a fair bit of turmoil. Forest fires are a necessary part of a healthy natural wooded ecosystem. I tend to think of economic downturns the same way. Every once in a while, companies (or entire markets) have to look carefully at what really adds value to their businesses and figure out how to focus on that when cash flow dwindles and investors clam up. If a business doesn't survive a recession, then it was on shaky ground well before the economy went south.