I think the main point is a lot of the big, traditional hardware companies in the US tech world are shifting resources toward software, could and other services.
It's more profitable for them. Higher margins, not as many bodies needed, etc.
Microsoft, Intel, Cisco, IBM, Dell, HP, etc. They've all started to make the shift. A lot of people will be cut as a result. Not enough hardware companies to absorb all those high-salaried workers.
Hardware stuff is being sent to low-cost centers such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, etc.
Lets talk about the cloud for a sec, because I think this is extremely overstated.
Okay, if I decide to purchase an Azure AD server from Microsoft and host my Exchange platform on the could, I no longer need an Exchange admin.
But I still need my engineer
If I decide to use Cisco's hosted Meraki Dashboard to monitor my Switches and topology in the environment, I no longer need my Network Admin
But I still need my engineer
If I decide to use a Cloud hosted version of HP's 3PAR SAN, I no longer need my Storage admin (or whoever monitors that for your company).
But I still need my engineer
Hell even if you host all your servers via cloud services, you still need an engineer to ensure that your network can comminicate with those servers, that you've open up the routes on your MPLS circuit, that you've set the firewall rules for the corresponding ports, that you have traffic properly segmented in the correct VLAN, etc etc.
Cloud computing replaces admin jobs, and some engineering tasks
Yes I agree that it replaces the physical work of actually setting up your own rack, but you still need an onsite engineer.
Besides, those racks have to exist somewhere, some engineer somewhere has to be building these environments
I know many network/system engineers who have been laid off.
I dont know any who have had a hard time finding work.