A new Lee Tucker analysis finds US employment for 22- to 24-year-olds has fallen since late 2022 in the 20% of industries most exposed to AI, even as jobs grew in the least-exposed sectors.
Those declines are concentrated in technology, finance, insurance and professional services such as law, HR and accounting—industries where AI tools have spread fastest since ChatGPT’s 2023 debut.
Older workers in the same AI-disrupted industries did not show the same employment drop, suggesting the pain is falling mainly on recent graduates trying to enter the workforce.
Tucker cautions some weakness predates AI and began during the pandemic, but the analysis indicates AI has at least reinforced a harsh entry-level job market.