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While many new graduates are applying to large corporations, an unexpected hiring opportunity is emerging at smaller businesses. A recent report from payroll and benefits management platform Gusto suggests that some of the roles currently in highest demand may be more resilient through the AI revolution.
Gusto estimates that about 974,000 new graduates aged 20 to 24 will be recruited by small businesses with 1 to 49 employees during the 2026 hiring season, which runs from April to September. That would be a modest increase from 962,000 last year.
The report also points to a broader recovery from the low point in 2023, when hiring of new graduates fell to about 60,000. For 2026, Gusto projects the figure will rise to more than 100,000—despite the overall hiring market not yet returning to the “boom” seen during the COVID-era period of 2020 to 2022.
Family-owned businesses appear especially eager to hire young workers. At the same time, “giants” in industry have begun removing internship and entry-level roles from their websites.
Large companies argue that AI can now handle tasks traditionally performed by junior staff. Some small-business owners disagree, saying they actively recruit graduates for both technological aptitude and relationship-building skills.
Aaron Terrazas, an economist at Gusto, characterized the shift as a change in strategy between large employers and smaller firms: “Large companies are playing defense, while small businesses are on the attack.” He added that when big employers trim recruitment, small firms see an opportunity, and that many young people view AI as an intrinsic tool rather than a new skill to master—making them valuable to firms seeking to modernize quickly.
Billionaire Mark Cuban has also highlighted the trend, advising newly graduated job seekers to target small companies.
Even as hiring momentum remains steady among these employers, the profile of talent they seek has changed. Career paths that previously promised six-figure salaries right after graduation are looking less attractive. Roles such as financial analyst, software engineer, and research assistant have “tumbled” in the new job market.
By contrast, jobs linked to AI and hands-on work are rising the fastest. Positions such as founding engineer and AI engineer show the steepest growth. At the same time, roles considered relatively “immune” to AI—such as field managers and service technicians—are at the top.
The pattern reflects a split in Gen Z’s labor market preferences: one group is deeply engaged in technology to advance, while another is focused on establishing itself in manual, practical trades.
While graduates are being encouraged to adapt to AI, many young professionals are also leaving desk jobs to pursue trades. A Harris Poll survey conducted in 2024 for Intuit Credit Karma found that about 78% of Americans say they see rising interest in trades among young people.
Many roles in these areas—from carpenters to service technicians—can also offer self-employment opportunities with strong earnings potential.
Education trends are shifting as well. Enrollment in community colleges focused on vocational training rose 16% in 2024, the highest increase since the National Student Clearinghouse began tracking data in 2018. In particular, construction trades saw a 23% jump in the share of Gen Z students from 2022 to 2023, while HVAC and auto repair programs rose 7%.
Even as AI threatens some white-collar office roles, demand for manufacturing workers remains. Deloitte and the National Manufacturing Institute project about 3.8 million new manufacturing jobs to be created by 2033.
Some technology roles are also seeing renewed growth. LinkedIn’s analysis earlier this year found that AI engineers are the fastest-growing job title for young workers in 2026.
From 2023 to 2025, among 639,000 AI-related job postings in the United States, around 75,000 were for AI engineers. The enterprise AI platform PromptQL has also proposed salaries as high as $900 per hour for AI engineers building and deploying AI agents in business.
Terrazas said these roles are expanding because firms have urgent needs for young people from the “AI-native” generation to innovate. He noted that the Class of 2026 is the first cohort to complete an entire undergraduate program in the AI era, and that many business leaders view these graduates as having advanced AI skills that are critical to their companies.
Source: Fortune
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