In the labor market, tomorrow's leaders are sacrificing themselves to meet today's needs.

The new data shows how, in the US, the current unemployment rate for workers aged 20 to 24 is higher than before the pandemic and the monthly hiring rate for workers with little or no previous experience has dropped to 13 %, from 20%.

Additionally, applications for internships and entry-level jobs have dropped.

As a consequence, projections show the employment rate for graduates falling by 5.8% in 2024, the first year of decline since 2018.

There appears to be a reluctance on the part of employers to hire low-level workers. Between AI investments and the huge number of experienced candidates crowding the market, hiring entry-level workers is not a priority at the moment.

Traditionally, young workers served as an alternative to more expensive employees with years of experience. But the recent reluctance to bring in more young people could pose leadership and succession problems at companies. Entry-level jobs are essentially investments in the future.

If the situation were to remain the current one, a crisis is foreseen in 10 years from now, when there will be very few qualified professionals capable of replacing the current intermediate managers and senior professionals.