Stanford University has published a first-of-its-kind study on Tuesday that reveals “the AI revolution” is already beginning to have a “significant and disproportionate impact on entry-level workers in the U.S. labor market,” especially those ages 22 to 25 in highly AI-exposed professions like software engineering and customer service.
The research, led by Erik Brynjolfsson, a top economist and AI thought leader of sorts, analyzed high-frequency payroll records from millions of American workers, generated by ADP, the largest payroll software firm in the U.S. The analysis revealed a 13% relative decline in employment for early-career workers in the most AI-exposed jobs since the widespread adoption of generative-AI tools, “even after controlling for firm-level shocks.” In contrast, employment for older, more experienced workers in the same occupations has remained stable or grown.
