It's time to address the looming crisis in entry-level work
The rise of artificial intelligence is impacting entry-level job opportunities for young workers. A significant decline in employment for those aged 22 to 25 in AI-exposed fields has been observed, raising concerns about the future of early-career hiring. To address this issue, changes in education, business practices, and individual responsibilities are necessary to prepare young people for an AI-augmented workforce.
- ▪A working paper from the Stanford Digital Economy Lab found a 16% decline in employment for workers aged 22 to 25 in AI-exposed occupations after the spread of generative AI.
- ▪More experienced workers in the same fields did not experience the same decline, indicating a specific impact on entry-level positions.
- ▪The unemployment rate for recent college graduates rose to 5.6% in the fourth quarter of 2025, with underemployment reaching its highest level since the COVID pandemic.
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Artificial intelligenceIt’s time to address the looming crisis in entry-level work.Here’s how young job seekers, businesses, and society should adapt to the AI revolution. By Georgios PetropoulosMay 26, 2026Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Adobe Stock Artificial intelligence has not so far produced a clean story of mass unemployment. Aggregate employment in developed countries remains broadly stable, and recent assessments have found limited evidence that AI has shifted the headline numbers. But a troubling change may be hiding beneath the surface: the quiet weakening of the first rung of the career ladder. The most worrisome evidence is showing up exactly where we should expect it first: in early-career hiring.
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