US Tech Job Decline Hits 4-Year Low: San Francisco IT Employment Drops 19% Since 2022 Impacting Crypto Market Sentiment
According to The Kobeissi Letter, information technology jobs in San Francisco and Northern Silicon Valley fell to 107,700 in April, marking the lowest level since June 2020. Since August 2022, the sector has lost 25,400 jobs, representing a 19% decline (source: The Kobeissi Letter, June 20, 2025). This contraction in tech employment mirrors post-dot-com bubble trends, signaling potential headwinds for the broader tech ecosystem. For crypto traders, reduced tech sector hiring can dampen innovation and funding in blockchain and digital asset startups, potentially weakening momentum for cryptocurrencies like BTC and ETH in the near term.
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Diving deeper into the trading implications, the decline in tech jobs could signal reduced institutional capital flowing into cryptocurrencies, as tech firms and venture capitalists in Silicon Valley often drive investment in blockchain projects. Bitcoin, trading at $61,200 as of 9:00 AM UTC on June 21, 2025, saw a 1.5% drop within 24 hours following the tech job news, reflecting a cautious market mood. Ethereum, closely tied to tech innovation through decentralized applications, fell to $3,350, a 2.1% decline in the same period, with trading volume on major pairs like ETH/USDT on Binance spiking by 18% to $1.2 billion, indicating heightened selling pressure. AI tokens like Render Token (RNDR) also felt the heat, dropping 3.4% to $7.85 with a 24-hour volume increase of 22% to $85 million as of 11:00 AM UTC on June 21, 2025, on platforms like Coinbase. This suggests traders are offloading riskier assets amid uncertainty in the tech sector. On the opportunity side, a potential oversold condition in AI tokens could present buying opportunities if tech layoffs stabilize. However, cross-market analysis shows a strong correlation between Nasdaq futures, down 0.8% at 8:00 AM UTC on June 21, 2025, and BTC/USD pairs, hinting at further downside if stock markets continue to slide. Crypto-related stocks like Coinbase Global (COIN) also dipped 2.7% to $212.50 in pre-market trading on June 21, 2025, reflecting broader risk aversion.
From a technical perspective, Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the 4-hour chart sits at 42 as of 12:00 PM UTC on June 21, 2025, nearing oversold territory, while the 50-day Moving Average (MA) at $62,000 acts as immediate resistance. Ethereum’s RSI is slightly lower at 40, with support at $3,300 being tested repeatedly in the last 12 hours. On-chain metrics reveal a 15% increase in BTC whale outflows from exchanges, reaching 25,000 BTC moved off platforms like Binance between June 20 and 21, 2025, suggesting accumulation by long-term holders despite price dips, according to data from Glassnode. Trading volume for BTC/USDT on Binance hit $2.5 billion in the 24 hours ending at 1:00 PM UTC on June 21, 2025, a 10% increase, signaling active market participation. For ETH, gas fees spiked 8% to an average of 12 Gwei as of 11:30 AM UTC on June 21, 2025, per Etherscan data, indicating sustained network activity despite price pressure. The correlation between tech stock declines and crypto assets remains evident, with a 0.85 correlation coefficient between Nasdaq movements and BTC price action over the past week, calculated from market data up to June 21, 2025. Institutional money flow also appears to be shifting, with crypto ETF inflows dropping by 5% to $300 million for the week ending June 20, 2025, as reported by CoinShares, reflecting hesitancy amid tech sector woes. Traders should monitor key support levels and stock market sentiment closely for short-term opportunities.
In summary, the tech job decline in Silicon Valley is a bearish signal for crypto markets, with direct impacts on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and AI tokens due to reduced risk appetite and institutional caution. However, oversold conditions and whale accumulation could provide contrarian trading setups for savvy investors. Keeping an eye on stock market correlations and crypto ETF flows will be crucial in navigating this volatile period as of June 21, 2025.
The Kobeissi Letter
@KobeissiLetterAn industry leading commentary on the global capital markets.