CEOs Plan Sharp Cut to Entry-Level Hiring as AI Automates Routine Work
Forty-three percent of chief executives expect to reduce junior-level hiring over the next two years, up from 17% a year ago, according to the 2026 CEO Survey by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the New York Stock Exchange. The survey polled 415 executives across industries and regions.
The shift reflects confidence that AI agents and automation can handle tasks that traditionally went to entry-level staff. Code writing, document analysis, AI for customer support, and report generation are moving to software.
At the same time, 33% of CEOs plan to increase hiring at mid-level roles, and 10% at senior levels. Forty-five percent expect total headcount to stay flat.
What This Means for Your Role
If you work in customer support, the numbers matter. Customer service automation ranks among the routine tasks executives see as prime candidates for AI handling. The survey data suggests companies will invest in fewer entry-level positions but more mid-career roles that oversee, integrate, or improve automated systems.
The traditional workforce structure - a pyramid with a wide base of junior staff - is becoming what the survey describes as a "middle-heavy diamond." Fewer people at the bottom. More people in the middle managing work.
What to Watch
- Campus recruiting budgets and internship program sizes from major employers. Cuts here often signal real hiring changes ahead.
- HR data on how quickly new entry-level hires become productive and what percentage of customer support tasks are now handled by automation.
- Industry and government responses around retraining programs, apprenticeships, and credentials for early-career workers.
The 26-percentage-point jump in one year - from 17% to 43% - suggests executives have moved from exploring AI to making concrete hiring decisions based on it.
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