AI eliminates entry-level jobs as adoption surges

Artificial intelligence (AI) is eliminating entry-level jobs as adoption surges in organizations. That’s according to new data from salary benchmarking platform Ravio. It found that administrative roles that were once essential are now experiencing significant declines as AI systems take over many menial tasks and repeatable processes.

This trend extends beyond traditional admin roles into technical teams as well, with the Scrum Master role seeing a particularly steep decline, according to Ravio.

This indicates a need for companies to re-evaluate which human roles truly matter, while top employees in administrative roles may need support to develop new skillsets and bring new impact to the business.

AI adoption triggers staggering decrease in entry-level hiring rates

Entry-level roles have seen a staggering average decrease in hiring rates of 73.4 percent in the last year, compared to the overall picture of a 7.4 percent decrease in hiring, Ravio stated. These are roles often focused on relatively routine and repetitive tasks, which are ripe for disruption by AI. Junior roles in people, marketing and engineering are particularly impacted – all with an even higher drop than the overall average.

Entry-level roles have traditionally been a way for companies to bring fresh perspectives and to develop junior team members into best-fit talent for mid-career roles. Without this pipeline in place, HR and business leaders may need to reconsider career pathways and succession planning, Ravio warned.

It’s also important to note that whilst AI is playing a role in the decline of entry-level hiring, there’s a wider context of economic uncertainty and companies maintaining lean operations after years of layoffs and restructuring. The uncertain global economic environment is making employers more cautious about investing in new hires, particularly at the entry level.

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Hiring rates decrease across the board

Non entry-level roles are not immune to AI-driven hiring cuts either, with the past year showing hiring rates continuing to decrease across the board, according to Ravio. Administration is the job family that has seen the steepest drop in hiring rates at -35.5 percent. These roles typically contain a significant proportion of repetitive, routine tasks which AI tools are now able to automate, leading to this reduction in hiring.

Some subfamilies have seen even bigger decreases, such as Admin Other with a 63.3 percent drop in hiring, facilities management at 52.6 percent and office management at 51.7 percent. These are areas where the shift to remote working also plays a key role, Ravio noted.

“This isn’t just a typical job market fluctuation trend. It’s a fundamental shift in how work gets done,” commented Monica Öberg, fractional HR professional. “We can't keep designing jobs the same way we always have.”

Instead of hiring for roles as they’ve always existed, businesses need to start breaking down the actual tasks and workflows, she added. This includes asking:

• What actually requires human thinking, creativity or emotional intelligence?
• What's better handled by systems?
• Where can workflows be improved?

“The companies asking these questions now – and redesigning roles accordingly – won’t just hire better. They’ll set people up for work that's more meaningful and resilient to automation,” Öberg said.