Artificial intelligence is reducing the share of early-career job ads for HR professionals in Australia, according to new analysis from SEEK, even as junior workers in other white-collar fields gain ground. The research, drawn from millions of Australian job ads across knowledge-based occupations, found HR roles recorded a 0.7 percentage-point decline in early-career ad share during 2025.
The decline stems from a simple imbalance: automation exposure in HR now outweighs the benefits of AI augmentation. SEEK's framework distinguishes between these two forces. Augmentation means AI helps workers do tasks better or faster. Automation means AI does tasks previously handled by people. For HR professionals, the augmentation exposure score sits at 68%, while the automation exposure score is 51%.
HR moves against the broader trend
Across knowledge-based occupations overall, the picture is more positive. Augmentation is currently having a stronger effect than automation, meaning AI is more likely to support than reduce demand for early-career workers. Electronics Engineers saw a 3.0 percentage-point increase in early-career job ad share. Civil Engineering Professionals recorded a 2.7 percentage-point rise. Advertising and Marketing Professionals, despite a relatively high automation exposure of 54%, still posted a net positive impact of 1.2 percentage points.
SEEK chief economist Dr Blair Chapman said the divergence reflects how unevenly AI is reshaping the labour market. "AI may be increasing demand for junior workers in some white-collar roles, particularly where it helps workers do tasks more effectively rather than replacing them outright," Chapman said. "In other roles, AI appears to reduce demand by doing some tasks itself. This suggests the labour market effects of AI are still unfolding."
SEEK's year-by-year analysis found the relationship between AI and early-career hiring has strengthened since ChatGPT launched. Both the positive effect of augmentation and the negative effect of automation have grown over time, and neither trend has stabilised.
Experts warn against cutting entry-level roles
The findings add to evidence of mounting pressure on entry-level hiring. A Gartner poll of 110 heads of HR found that 22% knew of at least one business leader in their organisation who had stopped hiring for entry-level roles because of AI adoption.
Kaelyn Lowmaster, director analyst in the Gartner HR practice, said organisations that cut early-career talent pipelines risk creating workforce problems later. "Instead of eliminating these early career roles, organisations should redefine them to enable earlier contributions to higher-value work and build the talent they will need in the future," Lowmaster said. Gartner has also cautioned that eliminating entry-level roles forces organisations to pay premiums for experienced external hires rather than developing talent internally.
For HR teams tracking how AI is changing their own function, resources on AI for Human Resources provide a starting point for understanding where automation and augmentation pressures are strongest. Managers looking to build practical skills can follow an AI Learning Path for HR Managers that covers the tools and workflows most relevant to the profession.
Why this matters for HR professionals
The SEEK data is a signal about your own pipeline. HR is one of the few knowledge-based occupations where automation pressure already exceeds augmentation benefit for junior roles. If your organisation relies on entry-level HR hires to build future capability, a 0.7 percentage-point decline in ad share may look small, but the trend has not stabilised. The practical response is to review what tasks your junior HR roles actually perform and identify which ones AI could take over, then redesign those roles around higher-value work before hiring freezes become the default option.
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