Teen hiring hit an 80-year low in 2025 — and is expected to fall even further this year. Is AI both the problem and the solution?

In the summer of 2025, youth hiring reached its lowest level in nearly 80 years in Bureau of Labor Statistics data. According to a report from career transition services platform Challenger, Gray & Christmas (1), this downward trend is expected to continue throughout the summer of 2026.

“With fewer teenagers already on the payroll during the busiest hiring months, the odds for a strong summer are narrower than they have been in years,” the report says (1).

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In fact, nearly 20% of companies said they plan to hire either fewer or no interns in 2026, according to Drexel University’s 2026 College Hiring Outlook (2).

There are several reasons for the decline in internships and young professionals. One of the main culprits is also the reason why the parents of these teenagers and students may have been fired: AI.

Artificial intelligence can take on entry-level tasks

Internships and entry-level positions often include…