Generative AI Cuts 22-25 Hiring in Exposed Jobs by 5.5%, Hitting Young Women Hardest
Updated
Updated · ProMarket · Jun 17
Generative AI Cuts 22-25 Hiring in Exposed Jobs by 5.5%, Hitting Young Women Hardest
3 articles · Updated · ProMarket · Jun 17
Summary
A Swedish working paper finds workers aged 22-25 in the most AI-exposed occupations saw employment fall 5.5% by early 2025 relative to less-exposed roles within the same employers, while workers aged 31-49 were largely unaffected.
Hiring drove the shift: postings had already started falling after the Riksbank’s April 2022 rate hike, and the extra drop after ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch was not robust, suggesting broad vacancy weakness was more about monetary tightening than AI.
Young women took a bigger hit because they are concentrated in highly exposed entry-level roles such as payroll, administration and customer service; employment fell about 1.6% for women aged 22-25 versus 0.7% for young men.
The paper finds little evidence of mass job destruction overall, but says employers are increasingly protecting incumbents and slowing junior intake, a pattern echoed in recent U.S. data.
That raises a longer-term risk beyond headline unemployment: fewer entry-level openings in AI-exposed fields could weaken skill formation, career progression and the future pipeline of experienced workers.
As AI freezes hiring for the young, why are jobs for workers over 50 in the same companies actually increasing?
Why does generative AI's impact on entry-level jobs hit young women twice as hard as young men?
Generative AI and the Workforce: How 6–7% of U.S. Jobs Face Displacement by 2030—With Young Workers and Women Hit Hardest
Overview
Between 2022 and 2026, the rise of Generative AI has quickly transformed the labor market, causing an immediate and uneven impact on young workers and women. As AI substitutes some jobs and augments others, there has been a modest drag on overall payroll growth, with younger workers bearing most of this burden. While AI has led to monthly job reductions, only part of these losses are offset by new roles, resulting in a slight increase in unemployment. This shift highlights how AI’s rapid adoption is reshaping job opportunities and amplifying existing inequalities, especially for those early in their careers and for women.