Graduates entering the technology workforce in 2024 are encountering unprecedented challenges as artificial intelligence (AI) tools reshape the industry. Recent data reveals a sharp decline in entry-level tech job openings, with industry experts and new graduates alike expressing concern about the long-term impact on career development and the talent pipeline.
AI Adoption Linked to Decline in Entry-Level Tech Jobs
The UKโs National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) reports a 50% reduction in technology job advertisements from 2019/20 to 2024/25. Entry-level roles, critical for career entry and progression, have been disproportionately affected. The study cites the โanticipated impact of artificial intelligenceโ among the key factors driving this contraction.
โThe markets are evolving rapidly where AI automates many routine coding tasks, traditionally undertaken by junior developers as part of their on-the-job training,โ said Prashanth Chandrasekar, CEO of Stack Overflow, a leading software knowledge platform. โThis transition is making it increasingly difficult for new graduates to secure those foundational roles.โ
Stack Overflowโs own research supports this trend. Nearly half of surveyed developers use AI-assisted coding tools daily, yet only about one-third trust these toolsโ outputs. The coexistence of reliance on and skepticism toward AI reflects a complex and unsettled industry landscape.
Graduates Describe a Frustrating Job Market
Eddie Hart, who graduated from Newcastle University in 2024 with a degree in computer science and cybersecurity, described his tough entry into the job market. โI knew it would be a challenge, but I thought it would be a little easier,โ he reflected. Hart notes that even advertised โjuniorโ positions frequently require two or more years of professional experience, a barrier that deters many qualified candidates.
โItโs not realistic,โ he said. โIt just discourages the good candidates from even trying.โ Hart suspects that many companies are substituting beginner-level tasks with AI solutions, which has diminished the opportunities for newcomers to gain practical experience.
Similarly, another recent graduate, who preferred to go by the name Colin, spent almost a year navigating a protracted recruitment process with a single large firmย without success. He described the screening processes as heavily automated and opaque.
โEven smaller companies use AI to sift through applications, so your CV has to be โAI-friendly,โโ Colin explained. โIโve often been interviewed by people who clearly hadnโt read my CV, which makes the whole exercise feel perfunctory.โ
Both graduates voiced concerns about the future. โThere are senior roles out there,โ Hart said, โbut if younger developers like me canโt get a start, who will fill them down the line?โ
The Rise of AI in Recruitment Adds New Hurdles
Alongside AIโs impact on job availability, automated recruiting systems are adding stress and hurdles during the hiring process. Hart described facing a recruitment pipeline with eight distinct stages, starting with an extensive AI-administered questionnaire.
โYou spend hours answering exam-style questions about yourself, and then you might be asked to record video responses,โ Holt said. โThen AI reviews all that and makes decisions. It feels like youโre not even getting the courtesy of a human rejection.โ
This mechanization of hiring adds opacity and frustration for candidates trying to break into the workforce during an already difficult period.
Industry Perspectives on the Talent Shortage
Experts underscore the risks inherent in a stalled junior developer pipeline. Paul Dix, CTO and co-founder of database company InfluxData in California, explained, โDuring economic downturns or industry disruptions, junior developers are often the first to face job losses. But if companies stop hiring them altogether, you end up with no senior developers in the future.โ
Dix called for strategic long-term thinking: โThis pipeline is how you sustain your technical leadership.โ
Conversely, some industry leaders point to silver linings. Rajiv Ramaswami, CEO of enterprise cloud provider Nutanix, said many recent graduates bring advanced experience using AI tools compared to traditional coding methods.
โSome younger folks coming out of college actually have more AI tooling experience than previous generations,โ he noted. โI find the market for talent to be the best weโve seen in several years.โ
Prashanth Chandrasekar posited that established tech companies investing heavily in AI feel pressure to demonstrate returns on investment, sometimes by reducing hiring. He emphasized that the software development industry has historically functioned as an apprenticeship: junior developers learn from seniors, building skills over time.
Long-Term Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities
Stack Overflowโs survey highlights a nuanced perception of AIโs role in the workplace. While 64% of developers viewed AI as a job threatโan improvement of four percentage points from the prior year there is growing acknowledgment of AIโs limitations and the continued need for human oversight.
โPrevious technological disruptions also caused fears about job losses,โ said Chandrasekar. โHistorically, these changes end up creating even more jobs, as new problems and opportunities arise that technology needs to address.โ
However, this potential surge in demand for developers may not materialize soon enough for todayโs graduates struggling to find entry roles.
Personal Outcomes Reflect the Uneven Impact
Eddie Hart recently secured a role as a security engineer with UK cybersecurity firm Threatspike, crediting the companyโs human-focused hiring approach. โIt was a very different experience,โ he said.
By contrast, Colin has decided to leave the technology sector altogether and is considering a career in policing.
Their experiences underscore the growing divide between those who adapt or find alternative pathways and those witnessing their aspirations deferred by shifting industry dynamics.
Conclusiรณn
As AI continues to transform the technology sector, its impact extends beyond automation to reshape career entry and progression, particularly for young developers. While some industry leaders highlight AIโs potential benefits and evolving talent markets, others warn of a looming skills gap if the pipeline of junior developers runs dry.
Navigating these changes will require coordinated efforts from employers, educators, and policymakers to ensure that emerging tech professionals can access meaningful roles and continue to contribute to innovation in an AI-enhanced world.
Para un anรกlisis mรกs detallado y una cobertura continua de los mercados laborales de EE.UU., las polรญticas comerciales, el gobierno del Reino Unido, las finanzas y los mercados, permanezca atento aย ย PGN Business Insider
