AI Spending Linked to Mixed Hiring Trends and Ongoing Job Losses

A report tracking AI spend and workforce data from nearly 22,000 companies finds that firms with heavy AI investment are adding staff, while AI‑related layoffs continue. Companies that spent about $30 per employee per month on AI in the first three months (“high‑intensity adopters”) grew head‑count by 10.2%, with increases across engineering, sales, administration, customer service, finance, marketing and scientist roles. Entry‑level positions in these firms also rose, countering claims that AI only eliminates junior jobs.

At the same time, companies announced almost 90,000 job cuts tied to AI through May 2026, and Goldman Sachs estimates AI has erased roughly 16,000 net jobs per month over the past year, especially affecting Gen Z and entry‑level workers. The hiring boost appears concentrated in tech‑forward, well‑capitalised firms, suggesting a widening gap between organisations that can turn AI adoption into growth and those that cannot.

The findings imply that AI can both expand and contract employment, depending on a company’s resources and implementation strategy.