The Junior Hiring Crisis

"It's not very encouraging. According to very recent research from Stanford's Digital Economy Lab, published in August of this year, companies that adopt AI at higher rates are hiring juniors 13% less. Another study from Harvard published in October of this year cites that early-career folks from 22-25 years old, in these same fields, are experiencing greater unemployment while senior hiring remains stable or even growing."

"Because of the work I do with People Work, I was lucky enough to be able to dig into this issue more deeply when we joined CU Boulder Venture Partner's Starting Blocks program to see whether or not universities were feeling this, too. The point of the program was to validate a customer segment for our business ( students), but as a mom and an engineer, I had a deeper purpose."

"Most of the university post-graduation job placement statistics have not caught up with the research yet, but staff and students alike have anecdotally told me that they feel it. Students are telling advisors that they are struggling with getting that first job, and hopelessness looms. I recently responded to a video from a CS grad who described feeling 'cooked', and I get it. The feelings are valid."

Recent research links higher AI adoption to a 13% drop in junior hiring and rising unemployment among 22–25-year-olds while senior hiring holds or grows. Many young people lack the financial flexibility to weather these shifts, risking long-term career impacts. Participation in CU Boulder Venture Partner's Starting Blocks program and interviews with university faculty, staff, and students nationwide produced anecdotal evidence that mirrors the research: career services and students report difficulty securing first jobs and growing hopelessness. University placement statistics lag behind these changes, leaving students and staff grappling with an evolving labor market.

Read at People Work