Why Entry Level Jobs Are Disappearing In The Age Of AI

What This Means For Gen Z, Talent Pipelines And Future Leadership

For decades, entry level roles have acted as the first rung on the career ladder. They were never designed to be glamorous, but they served a critical purpose. Building slides, cleaning data, drafting reports and sitting in meetings to take notes gave young professionals a way in. They created an opportunity to learn how work actually happens, to build context over time and to develop confidence in a real world environment.

Right now, that rung is quietly disappearing.

Across industries, the tasks that once defined early career roles are being absorbed by AI tools that can analyse data, summarise information and generate content in a fraction of the time. 

As organisations look to improve efficiency, employees are already leaning into AI to reduce workload and move faster. A recent Gallup report found that 46% of workers in the United States are using AI as part of their role, experimenting with tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini to streamline their day to day work. At the same time, a new piece of advice is gaining traction across workplaces: use AI to automate anything you would normally give to an intern or graduate.

That raises an uncomfortable question for leaders.

If the bottom rung of the ladder disappears, how does the next generation climb?

The early data suggests this shift is already underway. Research from Randstad in partnership with the World Economic Forum, surveying 11,250 professionals and analysing 126 million job postings globally, found that entry level job postings fell by 29 percentage points in the 18 months leading up to September 2025. The same research suggests that 50-60% of typical junior tasks, from report drafting and research synthesis through to scheduling, coding fixes and data cleaning, can already be completed by AI.

This is not just a hiring shift. It is a structural change to how organisations build future talent. If AI removes the bottom rung of the ladder, organisations need to rethink how people climb.

The Current Reality For Gen Z 

The majority of graduates and early career professionals entering the workforce today belong to Generation Z, those born between 1995 and 2010. Often described as digital natives, this generation has grown up surrounded by smartphones, wifi, social media and rapidly evolving technology. Adapting to new platforms has been part of everyday life for as long as many of them can remember. 

As AI begins reshaping work, Gen Z is watching closely.

Erik Brynjolfsson, Director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, recently described graduates as "canaries in the coal mine" when it comes to understanding how AI will affect employment. That concern is reflected globally. The World Economic Forum reports that Gen Z makes up the largest share of workers worried about AI affecting their job prospects, with 46% expressing concern.

The warnings are becoming harder to ignore. Dario Amodei, the CEO of US-based AI company Anthropic who powers Claude, has suggested that up to half of entry level white collar jobs could disappear within five years.

Despite this, Gen Z are not slowing down.

This is a generation that grew up watching platforms like Youtube, Instagram and TikTok reshape communication, and today they are entering workplaces where Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack are rewriting the rules for how teams collaborate in real time.

Gen Z understand that when technology changes, standing still is rarely an option.

What Young Professionals Are Doing About This

Although the concern is high, so is curiosity. The World Economic Forum found that three in five Gen Z workers are excited about AI’s potential in the workplace. 

More importantly, they are already building capability around it. More than half of Gen Z workers say they use AI to solve problems at work, sitting above the global average and ahead of every other generation. A GWI report also found that 49% of Gen Z employees use AI to improve their skills on a regular basis.

This means AI is not simply helping young professionals complete tasks faster. It is increasingly becoming part of how they teach themselves, sharpen their thinking and stay competitive. Professional learning platforms are seeing the same trend. LinkedIn reports a 92% year on year increase in learning time spent on AI related courses, alongside a 66% increase in AI related conversations on the platform.

Perhaps most importantly, Gen Z is not keeping this capability to themselves. Research from International Workplace Group shows that 59% of Gen Z professionals are actively helping colleagues learn how to use AI tools. 

This points to a broader shift in the workforce. Digital literacy is no longer enough. Digital confidence is becoming one of the most valuable professional capabilities a worker can develop.

The Challenge For Leaders

This leaves leaders facing a bigger strategic question. If AI can already complete much of the work that once sat at the centre of junior roles, what should an entry level role now look like?

With an ageing workforce across many sectors, organisations still need graduates entering teams, learning how the business operates and building towards future leadership. The difference is that the traditional graduate role now needs redesigning.

Refining The Job Description

For many years, graduate roles were built around repetitive work, administrative support and low risk tasks that allowed young professionals to learn while contributing. That logic is changing quickly.

Today’s graduates arrive with strong digital instincts, confidence across platforms and the ability to quickly test new tools. A task that once took days, whether analysing information, building presentations or preparing reports, may now take hours when paired with AI effectively. This changes where their value sits.

Rather than assigning only the tasks that automation has not yet removed, leaders should consider how young professionals can actively help teams work smarter. That may involve trialling emerging tools, improving workflows, testing systems or identifying smarter ways to handle repetitive internal processes. This is where Gen Z’s generational advantage becomes commercially valuable, not as task executors, but as contributors to how work gets redesigned.

Using AI To Offer Flexibility

AI also creates an opportunity to rethink flexibility. When technology allows work to be completed more efficiently, organisations can start rewarding output and initiative rather than simply time spent at a desk. For early career professionals, this matters deeply. 

Flexible work arrangements are increasingly viewed as one of the most attractive parts of an employment offer, often sitting alongside salary in importance. When young employees use digital tools to deliver work faster, employers have an opportunity to respond with trust and reward rather than simply increasing workload.

Appointing AI Coaches

Many organisations already have AI capability sitting inside their youngest cohort of employees. In many cases, graduates are informally teaching colleagues how to prompt better, experiment with platforms and use tools more effectively.

Formalising this through AI coaching or reverse mentoring programs can create real value. It builds confidence across generations, strengthens collaboration and gives early career professionals visible responsibility within the team. Importantly, it also helps close the digital confidence gap that often exists across multigenerational workplaces.

Where To From Here?

The quiet decline of entry level jobs is not simply a hiring challenge. It is a workforce design challenge.

For young professionals, the message is clear - continuous professional development is no longer optional. Tools, expectations and responsibilities are changing too quickly for anyone to rely solely on what they learned at university or during their first year of work.

For leaders, the opportunity is equally clear. Gen Z is entering organisations with AI confidence, digital fluency and strong instincts around emerging platforms that many teams urgently need. Used well, that capability can strengthen productivity, improve collaboration and help organisations bridge generational divides rather than deepen them.

The organisations that will thrive in an AI shaped workforce are unlikely to be the ones that simply remove junior roles fastest. They will be the ones asking a smarter question - If the old entry level role is disappearing, what should the new one become?

And what are you doing right now to design it?

About The Author

Scott Millar is a generational consultant, keynote speaker and trusted voice on the future of work, helping organisations understand the trends shaping Gen Z, leadership and the workplace of tomorrow. Scott brings fresh, practical insight into the shifts transforming workplaces, industries and communities. Recognised as one of Australia’s Top 30 Business Leaders Under 30, APAC’s Inspiring Youth Leader and a two-time TEDx speaker, he is regularly engaged to help leaders bridge generational divides and connect more meaningfully with the next generation.

To find out more about Scott and to book him to speak at your next event, head to: www.iamscottmillar.com/speaking