The rapid change in employment among young Americans in the AI era

Everyday life living alongside artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a fairy tale from the future. As AI takes on intellectual labor, the already worsening difficulty of finding jobs for college graduates is intensifying. A surge in electricity consumption is rapidly driving up electricity prices in areas near data centers. What is emerging is a reality in which AI delivers high growth, but benefits such as employment are skewed. This article tracks the current state of rapid AI adoption in the United States.

Employment conditions in the United States are changing. Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Student Clearinghouse—an agency that collects student information nationwide—show that in spring 2025, enrollment at technical vocational schools offering training for jobs such as pipefitters and carpenters increased 12% year over year. That far exceeds the growth in the number of college enrollments (4%).

This trend has been strengthening for several years. Against the backdrop is people’s concern about the future being reshaped by AI. A survey this year by Conjointly, which polled parents of Generation Z aged 10 to 20-plus, found that only 16% believe that “having a college degree can ensure long-term stable employment,” while 77% say it is very important to choose “jobs that are difficult to automate.”

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The Nihon Keizai Shimbun and the Financial Times merged into the same media group in November 2015. An alliance between the two newspapers—both founded in the 19th century—formed under the banner of “high-quality, the strongest economic journalism,” is advancing broad collaboration across areas such as joint special reports. This time, as part of that effort, article exchanges are being made between the two newspapers’ Chinese websites.