Overview

• Job search site Adzuna reports a cumulative 31.9% decline in vacancies for graduate, apprenticeship, internship and no-degree junior roles since ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch.
• Entry-level positions now represent 25% of the overall UK jobs market, down from 28.9% in late 2022.
• Advertised salaries for UK vacancies rose 9.4% year-on-year in May to an average of £42,403, even as junior openings fell.
• Retail entry-level postings plunged by 78.2% since November 2022, while IT and accounting roles dropped by 54.8% and 50.8% respectively.
• Employers including BT are accelerating AI integration—targeting call handling and diagnostics—while citing rising labor costs and new employment regulations as deterrents to hiring junior staff.