29th May 2026
The Disappearing Entry-Level Job: Why It’s a Growing Risk for Talent and Business Growth
As AI reshapes work, entry-level roles are disappearing, creating a critical gap in talent pipelines. This limits opportunities for young workers while increasing pressure on managers and organisations. Without junior roles, businesses risk losing innovation, future leadership, and long-term resilience, making early-career pathways a strategic priority—not just a hiring concern.
This article was written by Ellen Hammett and published in the Business Leader.
The disappearing first job and what it means for your business
Young job hunters might have been alarmed by a stark warning from the Mayor of London at the start of the year that artificial intelligence threatens to wipe out large numbers of jobs and bring in “a new era of mass unemployment”.
Sadiq Khan, delivering the mayor’s annual Mansion House speech in January, predicted that existing roles would disappear faster than new ones were created, with entry-level jobs the first to go.
His warning – aimed primarily at the capital with its reliance on white-collar work, finance, professional services and the creative industries, but applicable across the whole country – comes as opportunities for jobseekers dry up.
Vacancies have fallen over the past six months and by the end of 2025, there were 15 per cent fewer unfilled positions than at the end of 2024. According to the jobs site Adzuna, there are now roughly 2.3 job seekers for every advertised role, the highest level since the 2021 lockdowns.
Young people trying to find their first job face the biggest challenge, as entry-level roles are those most under threat from these changes. But businesses are also at risk: the disappearance of junior jobs is undermining how they grow, innovate and renew.
For employers, this is not simply a question of youth unemployment, but of how they can recruit the talented staff of tomorrow who will help lead them to future success.
Embarking on a career was a different picture 60 years ago, when most young people left education at 16 and found work locally, often in manual labour or administrative work. In the 1980s, with the hollowing out of Britain’s manufacturing industry under Margaret Thatcher, many of those early employment opportunities disappeared.
The internet revolution that began this century has arguably given today’s generation of young people more opportunities than their parents had – but now we could be facing a modern-day hollowing out of roles deemed fit for automation.
Entry-level job postings declined by almost a third between November 2022 and mid-2025, according to Adzuna. While remote working has widened access to work, competition for junior roles has increased.
Mid-size companies can be harder hit than others by the knock-on effects. When junior roles disappear, it is not just an employment issue – it becomes a leadership and succession risk. “This diminished pipeline creates a real risk for the company’s resilience and ability to continue growing,” says Cara Myers, a consultant at Argon & Co.
This affects mid-sized businesses more, she explains, because they often operate with leaner structures, meaning there are fewer resources if there is a lack of available talent internally.
“Middle managers are often hit hard, having to absorb more work because there aren’t junior team members to delegate work to,” Myers says. “This can result in managers being overstretched, which can lead to burnout, disengagement, and even attrition, which compounds the problem.”
Entry-level roles are also what often help young people develop the critical thinking skills needed for higher-level opportunities. Without them, Myers warns, there will be a skills gap that impacts both businesses and employees. The chicken-and-egg nature of recruitment can make it harder for young people to get a foot on the ladder.
Read this article in full here: The disappearing first job and what it means for your business