Young Workers in AI-Exposed Jobs Face Shrinking Employment

Entry-level hiring in automation-vulnerable roles is contracting at 3.8% annually for workers aged 22-25. The compression of the traditional early-career pipeline—the jobs that historically absorbed recent graduates and provided wage-building experience—is measurable in payroll data. Fewer entry-level positions means reduced wage-building experience for cohorts entering the workforce, with potential effects on consumer spending and debt accumulation.