Briefing AI and Entry-Level Jobs January 2026

The data shows clear variation in how generations are engaging with AI. As shown in Figure 5, older generations are significantly less likely to have used generative AI or AI agents at work in the past 12 months. Just over half of Gen Z entry-level workers have used generative AI, showing that adoption is still far from universal even among so-called “digital natives”. Differences also appear in how workers view their own skills and future readiness. Despite similar levels of overall job confidence across generations, older workers are more likely to believe that the skills they hold today will remain relevant in the years ahead. 18% of Baby Boomers and 17% of Gen X think all their current skills will still apply in three years, compared with 13% of Millennials and 8% of Gen Z. This may reflect greater confidence in existing expertise or a reluctance to see the need to reskill. Emotional responses to AI follow a similar pattern. Younger generations are both more worried and more excited about how AI will affect their work, while older workers tend to be less engaged on the topic. If access to education and reskilling does not reach older cohorts, they may find it harder to compete for future entry-level roles where digital fluency is expected. OECD research finds that many older adults remain excluded from the digital transition due to digital-skills gaps and limited access to age- sensitive training. Percentage (%) of entry-level workers who have not used AI tools at work in the past 12 months, by generationFIGURE 5 Source: PwC, Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, 2025.Baby Boomer (1946-1964) Gen X (1965-1980) Millennials (1981-1996) Gen Z (1997-2007)84% 70% 61% 57%76% 63% 52% 46%AI agents Generative AI How AI is Changing Early Careers: A View from Entry-Level Workers 5 Entry-level worker response to the question: “What proportion of the skills you have today will be relevant to the way you expect to work in three years’ time?”, by sectorFIGURE 4 Source PwC, Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, 2025.Note The percentages in the graph may not add up to 100% because values have been rounded up/down.76-99 percent Don't know 100 percent 51-75 percent 50 percent or less 22% 28% 28% 18% 4% 25% 31% 27% 13% 4% 26% 36% 27% 8% 3% 27% 37% 23% 10% 3% 27% 27% 25% 15% 5% 28% 33% 26% 11% 3% 29% 36% 22% 11% 2% 33% 30% 21% 11% 4%Health industries Government and public sector Financial services Technology, media, telecommunications Other Industrial manufacturing and services Energy, utilities and resources Consumer markets