The evolution of the job market is leaving workers stumped, but the impact has been particularly harsh on young graduates entering the job market in 2025. PwC’s hiring slowdown is interesting for many reasons, but the decision to reduce the number of entry-level posts is hitting Gen Z hardest. Marco Amitrano, the leader of the UK wing of PwC, told Business Insider that it is decreasing its campus hiring goals over the next three years. The company will take on only 1,300 applicants to its graduate and school leaver programs, compared with 1,500 who were accepted last year.
While PwC UK’s entry-level cuts don’t eliminate beginner posts entirely, they do add to the strained job market that is bursting at the seams with recent graduates who can’t find work. PwC’s hiring changes are likely to have a ripple effect down the industry, with many other businesses following suit, limiting the opportunities available for young talent in 2025 and the years to come.
Reports on the PwC hiring slowdown add to concerns regarding the shrinking number of entry-level roles available for young graduates. (Image: Pexels)
The PwC Hiring Slowdown Puts Gen Z Jobs at Risk
PwC, one of the Big Four consulting firms of global infamy, is slowing down how many entry-level workers it hires for its business. For now, the PwC hiring changes appear centered in the UK, but, likely, its operations at other locations will also follow suit in time. With over 200 jobs off the table, fresh graduates will now find themselves facing increasing competition for a more limited number of roles.
“At PwC, our entry-level numbers are lower this year, reflecting the wider slowdown in investment, hiring, and deal-making across the economy,” Amitrano confirmed in a post.
What Is the Reason for PwC’s Hiring Changes?
“PwC will always be a large employer and training ground for young people in the UK,” Amitrano wrote earlier, but the arrival of AI and the slowdown of the economy have made change necessary. The message is clear: there are two primary factors to blame for this shift in strategy: the advent of AI and the economic slowdown that has made businesses cautious about their investments.
PwC’s junior jobs cuts are not occurring in isolation. We have already seen evidence of AI disrupting entry-level jobs. While artificial intelligence has not managed to make all labor redundant, it has displaced a significant number of workers from starter jobs, performing their tasks with apparent efficiency. Despite studies suggesting that 95% of AI pilots have failed to deliver on results, businesses are going all in on AI.
For most companies, AI investments have not rewarded them with results. Even Walmart, a company that’s set to train sections of AI, admitted that these investments have not necessarily altered company performance just yet.
The entry-level job pressure has been further worsened by employers’ disapproval of the Gen Z population. From their demands for a better work-life balance to their habits and beliefs that often disrupt the workplace, the young population remains adamant about their principles, while employers remain just as resistant to their needs.
Should Businesses Invest Everything Into AI?
In some regards, experts expect the AI shift will slow down in the coming years. While some jobs evolve and take on new shapes, others will require talent to fill in the gaps, particularly when the older workers age out of the workforce. Excluding young graduates will inevitably hurt businesses in the long run, as they will make up the larger chunk of the workforce in the years to come.
These same workers may also be unequipped with enough experience due to the lack of opportunities, leading to issues later down the line. It is best for organizations to invest in AI training for workers and consistently hire for entry-level positions to ensure there is some degree of talent circulating through their forces. Internal mobility empowers workers, but it also allows organizations to benefit from existing expertise for a longer period of time.
As PwC Cuts Gen Z Jobs, What Can Young Graduates Do About the Shrinking Job Market?
With the PwC hiring slowdown set to go into effect, many other businesses will also make similar shifts to their hiring. Fresh graduates ready to kickstart their careers are finding themselves effectively locked out of their industries of choice. There are a number of workers replying to side gigs and freelance work in pursuit of employment, with many contemplating turning to entrepreneurship to set their own terms of work.
There has been an increased shift towards blue-collar work as well, with young graduates actively considering alternative solutions to the opportunities they expected to see through their degrees. While this is a viable solution, there are also a limited number of blue-collar roles to fill, particularly with AI and automation changing how the non-corporate forces operate as well.
Upskilling with AI learning is a worthwhile endeavor to keep up with the times, with equal effort into understanding how you can stand out from the crowd. The PwC hiring slowdown may limit the jobs available, but it does not erase them. This will be true for most businesses. While AI is here to stay, the need for human talent is also equally unshakable.
Have thoughts to share on PwC’s reduction of entry-level posts or the overall trends towards recruiting AI over employees? Let us know what you think. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.