JS Pulse #1
Spotify engineers now arrive at work to find AI-written code waiting for review. Their job is to check it and push to prod. Amazon cut 2,000 more roles last week but still has 40+ open JavaScript positions. They're not cutting JS developers. They're cutting middle management and replacing coordination with AI agents.
This is the new normal. AI writes 27% of production code. Companies are laying off people whose jobs AI can simulate, and hiring people whose jobs AI cannot do. If you write JavaScript, you're in the second group. For now.
Welcome to JS Pulse. I'm Zamir, founder of jsgurujobs.com. Every week I'll send you what actually matters in the JavaScript job market: who's hiring, who's firing, what tools are gaining traction, and what it all means for your career. No fluff. No hype. Just signal.
THE NUMBER: 67%
That's how much junior developer hiring dropped compared to two years ago. Companies aren't eliminating junior roles because juniors are bad. They're eliminating them because AI handles the tasks that juniors used to do: boilerplate code, simple bug fixes, writing tests. The entry-level JavaScript job in 2026 requires what used to be mid-level skills. If you're junior, the path forward is specializing in something AI can't fake: system design, security, performance optimization.
THIS WEEK'S READ
JavaScript Authentication in 2026: JWT vs Sessions vs OAuth vs Passkeys
Google, Apple, and GitHub all made passkeys the default login method within months of each other. Passwords are becoming a liability. I wrote a deep dive comparing all four authentication approaches with production code examples.
If you're still storing JWT in localStorage, this article explains why that's the most common security mistake in JavaScript apps and what to do instead.
5 JOBS WORTH APPLYING TO
1. Frontend Software Engineer — Remote, $140-170K
Fintech startup building payment infrastructure. TypeScript + Next.js + tRPC. Small team, high impact.
Apply here
2. Software Engineer II — Remote (EU timezone), €65-85K
Healthtech company. Node.js + React + PostgreSQL. They actually list the salary, which is rare.
Apply here
3. Senior Front-End Engineer (Remote in UK) — Remote, $120-150K
Developer tools company. Building dashboards for engineering teams. Good place to learn what the industry needs.
Apply here
4. Senior Front-end Engineer (React/Next.js) — Remote, $100-130K
E-commerce platform. High traffic, real scaling problems. Express migrating to Fastify.
Apply here
5. Full stack engineer — Remote (US hours), $130-160K
AI startup. Building the interface layer between AI models and users. React + Next.js + WebSockets.
Apply here
Browse all JavaScript job listings
TOOL OF THE WEEK: Better Auth
If you've used NextAuth (now Auth.js) and found it too magical, or tried Lucia and found it too minimal, Better Auth sits in the middle. Built-in OAuth, email verification, two-factor auth. Works with any JavaScript framework. Clean API. Good docs. Worth trying on your next project.
HIRING?
If your company is looking for JavaScript developers, I can put your job in front of this audience. Plans start free.
See all plans on jsgurujobs.com
That's it for JS Pulse #1. Next week: what the latest layoff numbers actually mean for JavaScript developers, and why the companies cutting engineers are the same ones that overhired in 2021.
— Zamir
Founder, jsgurujobs.com
P.S. If you found this useful, forward it to one developer friend. If you didn't, hit reply and tell me what you'd rather see. I read every response.