- - Randstad's CEO Says AI Is Wiping Out Entry-Level Office Roles For New Graduates: 'Path That Used To Work For A Long Time Is Starting To Break'

Snigdha GairolaJanuary 8, 2026 at 9:31 PM

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Millions of young Americans are facing a rapidly changing job market as AI erodes entry-level office roles, forcing a rethink of the traditional college-to-office career path.

AI Disrupts Entry-Level Office Jobs For Gen Z

On Tuesday, Sander van't Noordende, global CEO of Randstad, the world's largest staffing company, told Fortune that the "Path that used to work for a long time is starting to break."

He said AI is already outperforming many entry-level roles in fields like marketing, communications, and design, leaving graduates struggling to secure traditional office positions.

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Skilled Trades And Hospitality Offer Better Opportunities

Van't Noordende urged graduates to consider careers outside traditional office settings, noting, "There is a massive demand in skilled trades, mechanical engineers, machine operators, maintenance engineers, forklift drivers, truck drivers—you name it."

He also highlighted that hospitality and retail jobs, such as bartenders and baristas, are seeing pay growth that outpaces many desk jobs.

He advised caution for those already invested in degrees, saying, "Retrain. Learning new skills is always good."

He added, "Look around you, and where you see the opportunities that match with your skills and your background and go there."

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STEM subjects, he added, may still offer long-term opportunities. STEM subjects are academic fields grouped under Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

AI Job Disruption Warnings Grow

Business and tech leaders said rapid advances in artificial intelligence were accelerating job losses across multiple sectors.

Earlier this month, Airtasker Ltd. CEO Tim Fung said gig jobs such as ride-hailing drivers could disappear within three to five years, while AI was also likely to replace data scientists, coders and engineers.

He said blue-collar trades would be among the last affected and suggested people may be happier pursuing crafts or skilled work.

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Last year, AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton warned that AI capabilities were doubling every seven months and could replace millions of jobs by 2026.

He said roles such as call center work and complex software tasks were already at risk and cautioned that safety measures were lagging behind the technology's growth.

Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang said AI could lead to job losses if innovation slowed.

He added that continued creativity could allow productivity and employment to grow together, noting that past technological shifts had ultimately created new jobs.

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