Fewer job offers for junior roles due to AI, Swiss study shows

ZURICH, June 24 (Reuters) - Fewer junior positions are being advertised in Switzerland than before 2023 as firms increasingly adopt AI, a study by Swiss job portal jobs.ch published on Wednesday showed.

The share of entry level roles advertised in Switzerland was 32% lower in 2025 than the average between 2019 and 2022, which the study defined as the "pre-AI" phase.

The study, which looked at over 7.3 million job advertisements, said marketing, administration, finance and IT were especially hit by the adoption of AI.

At the same time, AI skills were increasingly sought in positions outside of IT work and offers for senior positions rose 26% in AI-exposed roles in 2025 compared to the four-year period before 2023. Junior positions in AI-exposed-only roles, fell 16% in the same period.

Demand for junior positions outside of office and research spaces meanwhile remained strong, particularly in healthcare, construction and trades with persistent shortages.

When surveying more than 3,600 workers, 41% of under 25-year olds said they are worried about becoming less valuable in the workplace because of AI, or have what is known as AI "FOBO" - the fear of becoming obsolete.

(Reporting by Marleen Kaesebier in Zurich, Editing by Linda Pasquini)