We are collaborating with the World Economic Forum to understand how artificial intelligence is transforming entry-level work and what this means for organisations, policymakers and education systems.
Drawing on global data, senior leader interviews, and insights from more than 9,000 entry-level workers across 48 countries, our joint report brings a practical lens to a critical workforce challenge: balancing the productivity gains of AI with the need to sustain future talent pipelines.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that decisions around entry-level hiring, workforce design and skills development now sit alongside broader strategic questions around growth, transformation and competitiveness.
Key insights from the report include:
More than 500 million young people aged 15–24 participate in the global labour force today.
37% of young workers are employed in occupations with medium to high exposure to AI-driven task change.
45% of entry-level workers report spending more time working because of AI.
28% of entry-level workers believe half or fewer of their current skills will still be relevant in three years.
Entry-level occupations in the highest AI exposure quartile show around 2.2x higher net skill change than those in the lowest exposure quartile.
What this report explores:
As AI reshapes entry-level work, organisations face increasingly difficult questions about how future talent is built and sustained. This report explores four areas where leaders will need to make deliberate choices:
- Job access: how organisations can continue to create meaningful entry routes into work
- Job design: how roles evolve as AI changes tasks, workflows and capability requirements
- Talent pipelines: how organisations continue building future managers, specialists and leaders
- Education and skill alignment: how learning systems keep pace with rapidly changing workforce needs
Across each area, the report examines where pressure is emerging and what organisations are doing in response.
“While the gains from AI can be significant, positive outcomes are not automatic. The organisations that succeed will be those that take a deliberate approach to AI adoption while continuing to treat entry-level talent and future capability building as strategic priorities.”
About the author(s)
Download our report here
Artificial intelligence and the future of entry-level work: A framework for safeguarding and reinventing early career pathways.
Creating a future-ready workforce
Make people the engine of your growth — so you can turn workforce disruption into competitive advantage. Visit our Global Workforce webpage.
