The tech world is flipping the script on entry-level jobs, with AI barging in and snatching up roles that once belonged to fresh graduates. Big Tech slashed new graduate hires by 25% in 2024 compared to 2023, while startups cut recruitment by 11%. Ouch, that’s a brutal hit. Among the top 15 tech companies, hiring for grads plummeted over 50% since 2019. These changes emphasize that entry-level jobs are essential for career launching, especially for Generation Z.

Meanwhile, firms are snapping up seasoned pros instead, leaving rookies in the dust. SignalFire’s analysis of data from 600 million workers and 80 million companies paints a clear picture: AI is the new gatekeeper. Autonomous processing enables AI agents to work continuously without breaks, making them more cost-effective than human employees.

Firms are snapping up seasoned pros, leaving rookies in the dust—AI’s now the gatekeeper, per SignalFire’s massive analysis.

AI’s automating the grunt work, like junior coding and debugging, that entry-level folks used to handle. Wall Street? They’re eyeing massive cuts to newbie hires. Forty percent of employers plan to shrink workforces where AI can step in. This disruption isn’t just tech—it’s hitting entry-level legal and retail roles too.

Globally, AI could displace nearly 50 million U.S. jobs, creating a mess for college grads whose unemployment is spiking faster than other groups. Young workers are feeling the sting, losing those vital first steps up the career ladder. Entry-level gigs were the training ground, but now? A bottleneck for social mobility, making it tougher for everyone to climb.

Tech might create 11 million jobs worldwide, but it’ll displace 9 million others. Salaries for newbies? They’re tanking. Executives get it—99% of C-suite leaders know gen AI tools—but they still want fresh ideas, even as AI shoves juniors aside. Sarcastic laugh: Great, so AI’s helping some leapfrog ahead, but at what cost?

In the U.S., firms are offshoring to India for cheaper talent, intensifying global competition. Local opportunities? Vanishing fast due to automation and outsourcing. Gen Z is fed up; 49% think AI’s devalued their college degrees.

Schools better wake up and update curricula, because the job market now demands AI adaptability. Mastery of AI tools is crucial for new graduates to remain competitive in this evolving landscape. It’s a wild ride, and not everyone gets a seat.