Artificial intelligence is creating a paradox in the early-career job market.  Companies are increasingly using AI to perform tasks traditionally assigned to entry-level employees, yet new research suggests many employers are not abandoning early-career hiring. Instead, they are changing what they expect from employees entering the workforce.

A recent Gartner survey found that 22% of chief human resources officers said at least one business leader at their organization had stopped hiring for entry-level positions because of AI automation. The finding reflects growing concern that if AI can handle the routine work assigned to junior employees, companies may no longer need as many people in those roles.

Other research paints a more complicated picture. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) projects that employers will hire 5.6% more new college graduates from the Class of 2026 than they hired from the previous class. More than one-third of employers surveyed said they plan to increase hiring. NACE also reports that demand for AI skills in entry-level positions has nearly tripled since fall 2025.

The Strada Education Foundation reached a similar conclusion. After surveying nearly 1,500 executives and senior talent leaders, Strada found that employers were 2.7 times more likely to expect AI to increase entry-level hiring in 2026 than decrease it. That doesn't mean AI isn't eliminating jobs or reducing demand for certain types of junior work, but rather that employers may be redesigning entry-level positions instead of eliminating them.

PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer provides perhaps the clearest evidence of that shift. After analyzing more than one billion job advertisements, PwC found that U.S. entry-level jobs most exposed to AI were seven times more likely to require traditionally senior skills such as leadership, strategic thinking, and judgment. Even more striking, these "seniorized" entry-level positions grew 35% between 2019 and 2025, while other entry-level positions declined by 10%. In other words, companies may be eliminating some of the routine work that junior employees traditionally perform while expecting them to contribute at a higher level much earlier in their careers.

The result of these shifts is a possible workforce development dilemma. Entry-level jobs have traditionally served as an apprenticeship. Employees learned by performing routine assignments, observing experienced colleagues, and gradually taking on more complex responsibilities.  AI can now perform much of that routine work. Deloitte recently warned that AI and hybrid work can weaken the informal learning that occurs early in an employee's career, potentially narrowing the pipeline for future senior talent. The firm argues that companies may need more deliberate apprenticeship and development programs to replace those lost learning opportunities. The challenge for employers is therefore not simply deciding which jobs AI can replace but also determining which experiences young employees still need to become the experienced employees the organization will need five or ten years from now.

AI will undoubtedly eliminate some entry-level tasks and may reduce hiring for certain positions. But the evidence does not suggest that entry-level employment is simply disappearing. Instead, the early-career job may be evolving. The employee who once spent hours gathering information, preparing reports, or completing routine analysis may now use AI to accomplish those tasks in minutes. What matters more will be the ability to evaluate the results, exercise judgment, solve problems, communicate effectively, and know when the technology is wrong. For employers, the winning strategy may not be "hire fewer entry-level employees”, but “hire entry-level employees differently, and develop them faster.” 

Sources:  Garnter, National Association of Colleges and Employers, Job Outlook 2026: Spring Update; Strada Education Foundation, Entry-Level Hiring in the AI Era: What Employers Are Thinking (and Doing), May 19, 2026.; Deloitte, Hybrid Work and AI Make It Harder for Employees to Learn. Is Your Company Ready to Meet the Challenge with Apprenticeship?, May 12, 2026.

Dan Van Slambrook leads ASE’s Staffing Services.  For more information about how ASE can assist with your hiring needs, click here.