Entry-Level Workers and Middle Managers Should Be Watching Closely

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Sr Natl Correspondent

Despite relentless corporate hype and rising concerns about mass unemployment, artificial intelligence has yet to lead to widespread job losses. Reports from Goldman Sachs, Brookings, CNN, the World Economic Forum, and tech industry analysts all point to the same conclusion: AI is changing the workforce—but the doomsday scenario hasn’t arrived. According to Goldman Sachs’ Q2 2025 AI Adoption Tracker, AI usage among U.S. firms rose from 7.4% to 9.2% in just one quarter. Yet the research found “no sign of a significant impact on most labor market outcomes.” Job growth, wage trends, unemployment, and layoff rates in AI-exposed industries remain consistent with those in less-exposed sectors.

Brookings reached a similar conclusion. In a July report, researchers Tania Babina and Anastassia Fedyk found that “AI adoption is associated with firm growth, increased employment, and heightened innovation.” A one-standard-deviation increase in AI investment resulted in a 2% annual increase in both sales and headcount after two to three years. But the disruption is already visible in certain roles. Call center employment is slowing, and AI-related job postings now account for 24% of all IT openings—even if they still make up only 1.5% of total job ads. “We’re looking at a complex reshaping, rather than a straightforward elimination,” said Gaurab Bansal of Responsible Innovation Labs.

Goldman’s analysis found that productivity is where AI is already leaving its mark. Firms that fully integrate generative AI report labor productivity gains between 23% and 29%. Tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft confirm those numbers. Amazon saved $250 million after deploying AI agents to upgrade 30,000 internal apps. Microsoft now uses AI for up to 30% of its code development. But AI’s reach goes beyond code. According to a 2025 survey from Howdy.com, 79% of U.S. tech workers are using AI more than they were six months ago. Workers report AI helping with code generation, data analysis, cybersecurity, and documentation. Yet 38% believe their companies will replace jobs with AI within five years.

That concern is acute for early-career workers. The World Economic Forum warns that “entry-level roles could be increasingly at risk.” Their Future of Jobs Report 2025 showed 40% of employers plan to cut jobs where AI can automate tasks.

Market research analysts and sales representatives could see up to 67% of their tasks replaced by AI, according to data cited in the Forum’s analysis from Bloomberg. Brookings found that AI-adopting firms are actively reshaping their labor force. The share of college-educated workers increased by 3.7%, and those with STEM degrees are in higher demand. At the same time, the number of non-college-educated workers fell by 7.2%. Companies are also flattening their hierarchies, reducing the need for middle management in favor of highly skilled, independent contributors.

“Most tasks for most jobs can’t be automated,” wrote Meta’s Chief AI Scientist Yann LeCun, echoing a sentiment across the industry. But that doesn’t mean the changes won’t be profound. As Brookings notes, the shift favors highly-skilled workers and larger firms with the resources to build and deploy custom AI tools—possibly exacerbating inequality. CNN’s reporting also noted skepticism about corporate motivations. “AI is so good, it’s going to put humans out of jobs” may serve as a convenient cover for executives looking to cut staff, said some insiders. Pew Research found that more than half of Americans are worried about AI’s impact on the workplace. For now, mass layoffs may be overstated—but entry-level workers, mid-tier managers, and policymakers alike are on notice, experts declared.

What’s clear is that the workforce is in transition. “We’re entering a decade-ish, maybe more, period of uncertainty,” said Bansal.