Jun 10, 2026
In summer 2025, teen hiring hit its lowest level in almost 80 years of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That downward trend is expected to continue for summer 2026, according to a report by the career transition services platform Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
“With fewer teens already on payrolls heading into the busiest hiring months, the runway for a strong summer is narrower than it has been in years,” the report said.
Advertisement
In fact, almost 20% of companies reported they plan to either hire fewer interns or none at all in 2026, according to Drexel University’s 2026 College Hiring Outlook.
There are several reasons behind the decline in internships and entry-level jobs. One of the main culprits is also the reason these teens’ and college kids’ parents might have been laid off: AI.
Artificial intelligence can perform entry-level job duties
Internships and entry-level positions often include duties that, although necessary, are relatively uncomplicated and routine. So it could be easy for a company to automate these tasks using AI.
“A lot of the tasks that are performed by recent grads are tasks where AI has pretty incredible capabilities,” Brendon Bernard, an economist for Indeed, told The Globe and Mail.
The Challenger, Gray & Christmas report listed some examples of such assignments: taking orders, basic customer service, checking inventory, and scheduling. Meanwhile, bosses don’t have to spend the time and energy training young employees, checking their work, or teaching them how to complete projects more quickly.
Fewer companies may need young workers to schedule appointments or organize files, but some are filling roles in one specific area. Yep, you guessed it — AI.
Must Read
- You can now build wealth like a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to chase down rent or take 3 A.M tenant calls
- Goldman Sachs used to hoard prime real estate deals for the ultrarich. Two ex-analysts just opened the door for $250
- Robert Kiyosaki begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’ — says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year
Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
AI can actually be the key to getting your foot in the door
Young people have every right to be angry that AI is at least somewhat responsible for companies omitting certain jobs. However, if they embrace AI even a little, they can use it to secure entry-level roles that didn’t exist when their siblings were landing finance and marketing internships.
Google has prestigious internship programs in business, engineering, technology and research. Brian Ong, vice president for recruiting at Google, told Bloomberg that the company’s program is growing in 2026 “in part driven by our ongoing investment in AI research, which is creating new internship opportunities.”
Large companies like Google are investing money and resources into AI. Other companies want younger employees who regularly use AI to teach the organization how to use these tools to their advantage.
Advertisement
If you consider yourself technologically savvy and familiar with AI, research AI-specific internships or entry-level programs. You’ll find programs with big-name companies such as Apple and Microsoft.
You can also find AI-related positions through job boards like GitHub, which helps you filter by domestic and international jobs and internships versus new graduate roles. Prosple allows you to filter open positions by location, job type, and salary.
How to use AI to your advantage
How do you make your application for an AI summer job stand out? Or maybe you want a position that’s completely unrelated to AI.
AI can actually help you improve your resume and help employers find you. A company might use an applicant tracking system (ATS) to automatically scan your resume and find keywords from its own job listing. For example, if the listing includes the terms “research,” “data science,” and “programming language,” an ATS scans your resume for these terms.
Use an ATS resume checker such as Jobscan to evaluate your resume before submitting it. Jobscan shows your “match rate” percentage to the job listing, including searchability, hard skills, soft skills, recruiter tips, and formatting, with tips for fixing any detected problems.
The employer uses AI (an ATS) to find the best-suited candidates, and you use AI (an ATS resume checker) to help their tool select your application.
It’s crucial not to over-rely on AI when applying for jobs, though. Tools like Jobscanner just go to prove how important it is to put in the effort to tailor each application to the individual listing.
Also, you can’t rely on AI when it’s time to sit down for a face-to-face interview. You still need to have strong communication skills, make eye contact, and be prepared to ask and answer questions. Just as we want AI to help us find jobs without erasing entry-level roles altogether, we should strive to strike a balance in how we use AI to land jobs.
You May Also Like
- Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP
- Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
- Robert Kiyosaki issues grim warning for baby boomers. Many could be ‘wiped out’ and homeless ‘all over’ the country. How to protect yourself now
Laura Grace Tarpley is a contributing reporter for Moneywise who has been covering personal finance and working in digital media for 10 years. Her expertise spans banking, investing, retirement, loans, mortgages, and taxes.
