16/09/2026
Entry hiring went quiet first.
Not mass layoffs.
The bottom of the ladder went dark.
Stanford Canaries / US ADP through June 2026.
Ages 22–25 in highly AI-exposed occupations: about 19% below less-exposed same-age peers on kept-pace.
Reduced hiring, not firings. Descriptive, not causal.
AI-generated presenter.
Mana Meta Māori