💡 Report: AI + hiring: What employers are saying

To understand better how entry-level hiring is evolving in the early AI era — and to help inform how learners, educators, and policymakers prepare for a changing job market — Strada Institute for the Future of Work surveyed nearly 1,500 executives and senior talent leaders across the country. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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MAY 19, 2026

In today’s world, with its constantly changing job market and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, the role of entry-level jobs as a first step toward economic mobility feels more uncertain.

Employers indicate that AI tools are more likely to increase than reduce entry-level hiring in their organization.
Greater use of AI is the most frequently cited significant positive driver of increased entry-level hiring.
AI appears to be shifting entry-level work away from routine and administrative tasks toward more complex responsibilities.
Critical thinking and communication are valued more highly in entry-level hires than AI literacy.
Work experience is the most valued indicator of career readiness. When evaluating candidate profiles, employers that hire recent college graduates rank those with related work experience, such as internships or project-based learning, as most desirable.

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Where we focus

Clear Outcomes | Quality Coaching | Affordability |

Work-Based Learning | Employer Alignment

Since 2021, Strada’s HBCU Initiative has partnered with dozens of HBCUs across the country to help Strada Scholars connect their education to economic opportunity. As the Initiative reaches its halfway point, partner institutions and students reflect on what has made it possible:

More than 470 Strada Scholars from 47 institutions across 21 states have accessed leadership development opportunities and funding for their college education, including stipends to help them take advantage of internships.
More than 200 Strada Scholars have earned their degrees, including 108 graduating this spring in the Class of 2026.
63 percent of this year’s senior Strada Scholars participated in a paid internship in their undergraduate years, compared to 37 percent of seniors nationwide at four-year colleges and universities.
80 percent of Strada Scholars received information about potential earnings in different careers related to their degree program.

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News from Strada

PRINCIPLES: More organizations and institutions are signing on as endorsers of the new Student-Centered Enrollment Principles, drafted in partnership with Strada by an action group of enrollment management leaders, financial aid administrators, admissions professionals, and student advocates.

PODCAST: The National Conference of State Legislatures' latest podcast episode reveals how enhanced wage records can help policymakers and researchers see trends in the workplace and know which job programs are paying off for workers.

WEBINAR: Confusion about college pricing is eroding student and family trust in higher education. Join a May 28 webinar with higher education and enrollment management experts for a conversation about the latest research and the new Student-Centered Enrollment Principles.