Death of Entry-Level Jobs: AI Destroys Junior Roles While Corporations Still Stall

A monstrous imbalance is forming in the labor market. On June 24, 2026, two independent macroeconomic reports were released. The European Central Bank (ECB) reported that "intense" AI use is recorded in only 7% of eurozone companies (businesses are bogged down in compliance and integration). However, a study by the Swiss portal jobs.ch, based on 7.3 million vacancies, struck a blow: the share of junior positions collapsed by 32% compared to 2019–2022.

These numbers crystallize a harsh reality. Corporations do not yet know how to restructure complex business processes for autonomous AI agents (which is why usage intensity is low), but they have already learned to use basic LLMs (like ChatGPT or Copilot) to handle routine tasks historically delegated to interns and junior specialists. Generating code templates, writing basic texts, initial data analytics—all of this has gone to algorithms. The AI boom hasn't yet created a "new economy," but it has already slammed the door to the industry shut for those at the start of their careers.

Source: ECB / jobs.ch / Reuters