A difficult entry-level technology job market in the US is pushing computer science students and universities to place greater emphasis on practical AI skills as employers change their hiring requirements.
Recent computer science and computer engineering graduates have an unemployment rate of around 7.1%, according to an Associated Press analysis cited in the report.
Software-development hiring surged during the pandemic but has since weakened as technology companies increasingly use artificial intelligence for coding work.
For workers in their early 20s in occupations described as “AI-exposed”, including software development, employment is 19% below where it would have been if it had kept pace with employment in fields less exposed to AI-driven changes, according to the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
After the number of recent computer science and computer engineering graduates tripled over a decade to around 362,000 in 2024, enrolment has also begun to decline. Data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Centre showed computer and information science enrolment falling 8.4% at four-year institutions by spring this year.
The changing market has also created difficulties for international students who need employer sponsorship to remain in the US.
Universities are responding by adjusting computer science programmes, expanding industry-specific preparation and teaching students how to work with AI tools rather than simply focusing on traditional coding roles.
Georgia Tech, for example, researched the skills required by AT&T and trained students for a month before their internships. The institution plans to expand the approach through a programme called “Bootcamp to Industry.”
