Want an AI-proof job? New research says you may be safer at companies embracing the technology
While artificial intelligence is often cited as one of the reasons for mass layoffs for fast-growing companies, especially in the technology sector, it also appears to be creating new jobs at many companies, according to a study published Tuesday by financial services company Ramp and employment database Revelio Labs.
“Our initial conclusion is that firms are starting to look for more entry-level hires, possibly more AI natives,” said Ara Kharazian, chief economist at Ramp, a financial services firm that found an increase in early-career hiring by companies as they began spending heavily on AI.
to work It tracked AI spending and workforce records of nearly 22,000 U.S. companies between January 2021 and February 2026.
It found that companies that spent more on AI increased their workforce by an average of 10% within two years of introducing the technology. Companies that made the largest investments in artificial intelligence increased entry-level job hiring by 12%.
“If you are looking for a job or graduating from college and choosing between two different companies that are similar, I would choose the company that uses artificial intelligence,” Kharazian said. “Our article shows that this company will grow faster.”
Early and heavy AI adopters spent more than $100 per employee per month on AI and had their employees use advanced AI like coding subscriptions rather than simple ChatGPT subscriptions.
Those who adopted low-intensity, casual AI did not see any hiring increases and headcount reductions.
ramp work It showed that AI has a positive impact on employment because it focused on firms adopting AI, many of which are fast-growing, venture-backed, hiring young AI-native workers.
Reached a different result than November 2025 Stanford University The study examined payroll data across the entire labor market and found that employment among junior software developers is down nearly 20% from its peak at the end of 2022.
Both findings may be true, Kharazian said, because the Stanford study was broader in scope and did not focus solely on companies using artificial intelligence.
“While there has been weak hiring overall for young people, we have seen that hiring is actually strong in companies that use AI and in companies that use AI heavily,” he said.
In another recent study on the impact of artificial intelligence on business, California AI-unemployment tracker examined the situation across sectors, education levels and the region, and highlighted some worrying trends.
It seemed to refute the notion that AI mostly harms younger workers and those in entry-level jobs.
It found that unemployment insurance claims among college-educated workers in jobs with high levels of AI exposure, such as customer service and software development, increased after ChatGPT launched in 2022 and remained high through May 2026.
According to the research, unemployment insurance claims among master’s and doctorate holders in professions with high exposure to artificial intelligence have also increased; It has increased from an average of 13,000 claims per month in November 2022 to 16,000 to 22,000 claims per month since mid-2023.
In the study, unemployment applications were also classified according to age and A significant part of the allegations Their ages ranged from 36 to 65, showing that the impact of AI is not just affecting early-career jobs.
The San Francisco Bay Area also appeared to have a higher rate of insurance claims compared to the rest of California, and job loss claims were concentrated in the technology sector.
Technology companies gave up a lot in 2026 160,000 workersAccording to Trueup.io, a website that tracks layoffs in the industry.
Many companies have said that AI is one of the main reasons for layoffs. Meta, Oracle, Microsoft and other major tech companies have laid off tens of thousands of employees while also investing billions in AI data centers.
Ramp’s findings that massive adoption of AI could lead to increased hiring suggest that some companies announcing major layoffs may be guilty of blaming regular cost cuts on AI, a practice called “AI washing.”
“When you hear CEOs talk about layoffs and attribute it to artificial intelligence, I would be skeptical,” Kharazian said.
