Description
Could artificial intelligence be making it harder for young people to find work? Across OECD countries, young people face tougher conditions when entering the labour market, with a widening unemployment gap between young workers and the rest of the workforce, particularly for young graduates.
Current OECD evidence does not show that AI is responsible for this deterioration. The trend began before the rise of large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. At the same time, AI-related hiring is growing, and the impact of AI on jobs, tasks and sectors requires close monitoring.
Young people are often employed on fixed-term contracts or enter the labour market with limited experience. During labour market slowdowns, they are usually among the first groups affected by weaker hiring conditions.
Read the OECD Employment Outlook 2026: https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-employment-outlook-2026_7e710f54-en.html
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Speakers
Stéphane Carcillo | Head of Jobs and Income Division, OECD
Key topics covered
- The unemployment gap between young people and the wider workforce has been increasing across OECD countries, especially for young graduates.
- Available evidence does not show that AI is currently causing weaker labour market outcomes for young people, and the trend predates large language models.
- Young workers are more exposed to labour market slowdowns because they are often hired on fixed-term contracts or have limited work experience.
