The number of entry-level job vacancies in the UK has dropped sharply—falling by nearly a third—since the debut of the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT in November 2022, according to research from job search site Adzuna.
Vacancies for graduate roles, apprenticeships, internships, and junior positions requiring no degree have declined by 31.9 percent. These entry-level roles now make up just a quarter of the total jobs market, down from 28.9 percent in 2022.
Experts point to the rising use of AI technology as a major factor behind this sharp contraction. Telecom giant BT, for instance, announced plans in May 2023 to replace 10,000 jobs with AI by the end of the decade, affecting roles like call handling and network diagnostics. BT’s CEO Allison Kirkby has hinted at further job cuts fueled by AI advances.
Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, the $61 billion AI startup behind chatbot Claude, warned last month that AI could eliminate half of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years, potentially increasing unemployment by 10 to 20 percent.
James Neave, head of data science at Adzuna, explained that beyond economic challenges, AI-driven efficiency gains are prompting companies to reduce entry-level hiring. “If you can reduce your hiring at the entry level, that’s just going to increase your efficiency and improve cost savings,” Neave said.
Additional pressures such as rising national insurance contributions, higher minimum wages, and forthcoming legislation like the Employment Rights Bill have further discouraged companies from recruiting junior staff.
Despite the shrinking entry-level market, the broader UK job market showed resilience. Overall vacancies increased by 0.49 percent year-on-year in May 2025 to 858,465, marking the third consecutive month of growth. Meanwhile, average advertised salaries rose 9.4 percent to £42,403, reflecting the strongest annual pay growth since mid-2022.
Sector-specific declines in entry-level roles have been particularly stark. Retail saw the largest fall, with a 78.2 percent drop in advertised jobs since November 2022, followed by logistics, warehousing, and administrative roles. IT vacancies have halved (down 54.8 percent), while entry-level accounting and finance jobs fell by 50.8 percent.
Neave highlighted how increased employer costs and regulatory changes are compounding challenges for junior hiring: “The NIC contributions were just a pure financial burden… the Employment Rights Bill is upping the ante for employers even more than it has been. If you’re an employer, it all adds to this list of reasons why you shouldn’t hire people.”
The number of vacancies in the UK has now returned to pre-pandemic levels, surpassing the global average, but still lags behind major economies such as the US, France, and Germany. Jobseekers per vacancy rose slightly to 2.02 in May from 1.98 in April, while the average time to fill a job decreased from 39.6 days to 35.8 days.
