The Evidence That AI Is Destroying Jobs for Young People Just Got Stronger

6 gamechangr 3 8/27/2025, 12:46:16 PM derekthompson.org ↗

Comments (3)

ProllyInfamous · 4h ago
Recently-published Standford study:

>"payroll data from ... millions of workers, through mid-2025 ... found that young workers aged 22–25 in `highly AI-exposed` jobs, such as software developers and customer service agents, experienced a 13 percent decline in employment since the advent of ChatGPT. Notably, the economists found that older workers and less-exposed jobs, such as home health aides, saw steady or rising employment."

I'm about to read this entire publication, but I would imagine other careers are equally doomed, data-wise (e.g. translation).

gamechangr · 2h ago
please add a comment here, if you do go and read the entire thing. I am also interested in knowing more.
ProllyInfamous · 1h ago
Take a look at the first chart in the article [0], which shows employed software engineers by age group (2021 - 2025). Even if "just a correlation ≠ cauation," the employment data of twentysomethings is ALARMING.

[0] https://imgur.com/a/VhknaiU

Interesting observations: study supports that senior engineers utilize AI more often / better than younger engineers; recommends universities revamp software instruction methods.

>"To be honest with you, I considered this debate well and truly settled. No, I’d come to think, AI is probably not wrecking employment for young people. But now, I’m thinking about changing my mind again."

I have been playing with LLMs since GPT-2 (e.g. http://www.thisworddoesnotexist.com), and since GPT-3 (right before ChatGPT) I have recognized the immediate dangers these technologies pose to junior positionships.

>"My advice is that predicting the future is impossible, so the best thing you can do is try to describe the present accurately."

Presently, I have accepted that GPT-5 is higher-IQ (quantitatively) than myself. I have accepted this tireless future.