Your Job Search Just Got Harder: How Google AI Is Disrupting the Entry-Level Economy

If you have recently applied for an entry-level position and have heard nothing back, you are not alone. However, the reason behind your struggles may not be your CV. It could be Google.

A growing body of evidence indicates that Google's AI Overviews, which deliver instant answers at the top of search results, are creating a domino effect that is devastating small publishers, reducing advertising revenue, and ultimately eliminating many of the jobs young workers need to begin their careers.

The Traffic Collapse Hitting Businesses Hard

According to data from Digital Content Next, a trade organisation representing major publishers such as the New York Times and Condé Nast, median year-on-year referral traffic from Google Search declined by 10% between May and June 2025. The impact on non-news brands was even more severe, with a 14% drop in traffic.

In August, the UK's Professional Publishers Association submitted evidence to the Competition and Markets Authority, claiming that some lifestyle publishers experienced click-through rates plummeting from 5.1% to just 0.6% for popular search queries. One automotive publisher reported a 25% decrease in traffic despite ranking first in organic search results.

For smaller and mid-sized websites, the situation is even more alarming. A Bloomberg investigation revealed that some publishers have lost up to 70% of their website traffic since the launch of AI Overviews. Morgan McBride, owner of the DIY website Charleston Crafted, reported losing 65% of her advertising revenue in just one year.

Google has disputed these claims, asserting that fluctuations in traffic stem from various factors, such as seasonal demand and algorithmic updates. Nonetheless, publishers maintain that the pattern is clear.

Why Your Job Search Is Suffering

When websites lose traffic, they lose revenue. When revenue declines, organisations often respond by cutting staff. Entry-level positions tend to be the first casualties.

Data from venture capital firm SignalFire shows that hiring of new graduates by the 15 largest tech companies has fallen by over 50% since 2019, with recent graduates now making up only 7% of new hires.

A report by Cengage indicates that 76% of employers hired the same or fewer entry-level employees in 2025 compared to the previous year. The unemployment rate for recent graduates has risen sharply, approaching levels seen among high school leavers amid widespread hiring freezes.

Heather Doshay, a partner at SignalFire, commented: 'The entry-level careers of recent graduates are most affected, which could have lasting effects as they continue to grow their careers with less experience while finding fewer job opportunities."

Google Tightens Its Control Over Search Data

Meanwhile, Google appears intent on consolidating its dominance over search data. The company recently filed a lawsuit against SerpApi, accusing the data provider of bypassing security measures to scrape and resell search results. Should Google succeed, independent access to search data could become scarcer and more expensive, further disadvantaging smaller competitors.

Publishers find themselves in a difficult position. The Professional Publishers Association warns that opting out of Google's AI crawler means disappearing entirely from search results. Without regulatory intervention or a resolution to the ongoing Department of Justice antitrust case, options remain limited.

What This Means for You

For recent graduates entering the workforce, the outlook is stark. The websites that once offered entry-level roles in content creation, marketing, and editorial work are shrinking. Small businesses that might have hired them are cutting costs, while large tech firms that could absorb the surplus have already reduced graduate intake by half.

The invisible hand influencing your job prospects may now be an algorithm, shaping opportunities in ways that are difficult to see or influence.