Overwhelming numbers of hiring managers (92%) report difficulty finding sufficient talent with open source skills as they also struggle to hold onto existing talent in the face of fierce competition. Half of companies are accelerating open source hiring, further exacerbating the talent gap, according to the 2021 Open Source Jobs Report released by the Linux Foundation and edX.

The report added that cloud and container technology skills are most in demand by hiring managers, surpassing Linux for the first time in the history of this report, with 46% of hiring managers seeking cloud talent.

“Open source talent is in high demand, encouraging the most experienced pros to look for new opportunities while hiring managers battle it out for the most desirable candidates,” said Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. “For those looking for the best career paths, it is evident that cloud native computing, DevOps, Linux, and security hold the most promising opportunities.”

Also, the number of open source professionals reporting they have been discriminated against or made to feel unwelcome in the community increased to 18% in 2021 – representing a 125% increase over the past three years.

Virtually all open source professionals (88%) report using DevOps practices in their work, a 50% increase from three years ago. Moreover, managers are prioritizing hires of certified talent (88%), with a similar percentage of managers willing to pay for employees to obtain certifications.

Large numbers of professionals are demanding more training opportunities from their employers, demonstrated by 92% of managers reporting an increase in requests. Employers also report that they prioritize training investments to close skills gaps, with 58% using this tactic; by comparison, 29% bring in external consultants to close their skill gaps.