Jobs for starters are disappearing due to the arrival of AI, because junior tasks in particular are being taken over by technology. But is that true? New research from employers’ association AWVN shows that this is not going very well at all. Companies that hire fewer juniors actually encounter other problems.
There is in many sectors less work for young people. After all, the tasks that are mainly done by starters, such as analyzing, entering data and checking, can also be performed by AI. And yes, figures from Statistics Netherlands show that youth unemployment has indeed increased over the past four years. So the conclusion is quickly drawn.
But that is probably unjustified, says employers’ association AWVN based on new research among 170 employers and organizations.
Looking for experience
65 percent of employers surveyed indicate that they are not at all faced with fewer job opportunities for young employees within their organization. 14 percent even indicate that they are looking for young talents, but that they have difficulty finding them.
For 12 percent of respondents, opportunities within the company for starters have decreased. 6 percent say this is due to the use of AI. “These companies are looking for people with experience who can check and assess everything that AI does,” says Jena de Wit, labor market researcher at AWVN.
But the research also shows completely different reasons why companies have fewer jobs for young people. “Some indicate that they have previously hired many juniors. That is why they are not recruiting this year. After all, the balance between young and old within your company must remain good.”
Lack of time
Employers want to have enough experienced employees who can guide juniors, says De Wit. “That is the only area where things are going wrong at the moment. Many companies still have major staff shortages and indicate that they therefore have little time and space for that guidance.”
Ultimately, 44 percent of employers in the survey say they have fewer opportunities for young people due to a lack of time and people. “They therefore prefer to hire people who can be deployed immediately if they have a vacancy.”
Because of the economy
There are also employers who indicate (11 percent) that they are hiring fewer young people because of the economy. “Companies are currently being hit hard by everything that is going on in the world. As a result, they are reluctant to recruit people at all, across the board.”
A reassurance: history shows that young people are more likely to be out of work when the economy is doing worse. In times of uncertainty, employers prefer to choose people with experience. “But as soon as the economy picks up again, young people are always the first to find work.”