Which companies are hiring technologists? According to Burning Glass, which collects and analyzes millions of job postings from across the country, defense firms led the way for the period between February 18 and March 18, 2020. Financial institutions and healthcare firms were also hungry for talent. 

Is this surprising? No. In fact, it echos what we found when we analyzed the same dataset at the beginning of February, with some slight changes (for example, Wells Fargo was the top company posting jobs for technologists, whereas in this latest update it’s fallen a few slots). The biggest companies tend to hire in big batches, and a combination of churn and expansion often means that they have a consistent need for talent. Check out the full list:

Of course, this reporting period ends right before the COVID-19 pandemic began to force companies to take radical steps, including asking the majority of their employees to work from home. With the stock market crashing and economic prospects looking pretty tight, at least in the short term, it remains to be seen whether companies will initiate layoffs (already, U.S. retail and hospitality sectors are being hit hard, thanks to the closures of restaurants, bars, and stores.)

Even during downturns, however, it’s important to keep in mind that companies still hire—just remember that, with budgets tightening and future headcount limited, they may shift their focus to more experienced and specialized talent. At times like this, it’s more important than ever to ensure that your résumé, cover letter, and online applications are all up-to-date with your latest jobs, skills, experience and even GitHub repo links (if applicable, in the lattermost case).