Overview

• Adzuna research shows entry-level vacancies have plunged 31.9% since ChatGPT’s November 2022 launch, cutting their share of the UK jobs market to 25% from 28.9%.
• In May, entry-level positions fell a further 4.2% even as overall vacancies rose 0.49% to 858,465, marking the third straight month of growth in total job openings.
• Sectoral data reveal the steepest entry-level cuts in retail (78.2%), IT (54.8%) and accounting and finance (50.8%) since late 2022.
• Major employers such as BT, Microsoft and IBM are publicly planning to replace thousands of junior roles with AI tools, while Indeed reports a 33% year-on-year drop in graduate adverts in mid-June.
• Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warns AI could eliminate half of white-collar entry-level jobs within five years, potentially driving unemployment up by as much as 20% without accelerated retraining.