AI disrupts job market positively overall but slashes entry-level hiring by 16%, recruiters say

From the Newshound archive · first published 14 October 2026.

Robert Walters CEO Toby Fowlston says AI is fuelling rising demand for lawyers, compliance experts and cyber specialists, even as it displaces entry-level candidates who traditionally handled routine administrative work. The recruiter posted a 10% jump in UK net fees to £13.2 million in the quarter to September, pushing its shares up around 8% on Wednesday. Fowlston described the disruption as "very good" overall but warned that the "bar for entry" to the job market is now "much higher" for young workers.

A survey by IDA Ireland, Microsoft and LinkedIn found that entry-level hiring in AI-heavy sectors in Ireland fell 16% year on year in the second quarter of 2026.

Fowlston said companies embracing AI are growing their overall headcounts, but the benefits are going to senior and specialist employees rather than school leavers trying to get a first foothold.