A new study spanning 41 countries reveals that businesses leveraging artificial intelligence are creating more jobs than their non-AI counterparts, yet the bulk of those new roles are flowing to seasoned professionals rather than entry-level talent.

Bharat Chandar of Stanford University and Bouke Klein Teeselink of King's College London released a paper on Monday showing that within AI-adopting firms, the number of senior-level positions grew by 6.7% over a five-year period, while junior-level employment contracted by 3% during the same timeframe.

Despite an overall uptick in hiring activity, the researchers observed that the share of junior employees within these companies dropped by 1.9 percentage points. This reduction in lower-tier roles was evident across diverse markets, including Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom.

The authors noted that in occupations most exposed to AI, the technology diminishes demand for early-career workers while simultaneously expanding demand for experienced personnel. They further highlighted that the decline in entry-level employment is more pronounced within wealthier and more digitally advanced economies.

The analysis drew on 125 million job postings and 154 million employment records spanning January 2021 through March 2026. Additionally, the study found that within companies using AI, computer-related and mathematical roles—those most heavily impacted by the technology—saw their employment share rise by 0.8 percentage points, though these positions also exhibited a clear shift toward more senior staff.