Coding jobs decline as computer science graduates turn to AI skills

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Computer science graduates in the United States are facing a tougher job market as companies increasingly use artificial intelligence for coding and seek workers with AI-related skills.

Jack Zemke, a 23-year-old computer science graduate from Tulane University, submitted hundreds of job applications with little response. His situation changed after an AI-powered search project he worked on at university attracted the attention of a civil engineering company looking for someone who could help it understand and use AI.

Zemke’s experience reflects the challenges facing recent graduates seeking software development jobs as AI takes over more coding tasks. An Associated Press analysis found that about 7.1% of recent computer science and computer engineering graduates are unemployed.

The change follows a major hiring boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, when businesses moved more operations online. Software development job postings on Indeed peaked in early 2022, but postings have since fallen significantly.

Major technology companies including Microsoft, Meta and Google are using AI for more coding work, while Amazon and other large employers have also reduced jobs while increasing AI investment.

According to the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, employment among workers in their early 20s in highly AI-exposed occupations, including software development, is 19% below the level it would have reached if those jobs had grown at the same rate as less AI-exposed occupations.

Employers are increasingly seeking workers who can manage AI tools and evaluate their results instead of simply accepting AI-generated output. This has also raised concerns about how companies will develop future mid-level technology workers if fewer entry-level employees are hired and trained.

The number of recent computer science and computer engineering graduates tripled over the past decade to around 362,000 in 2024. However, enrollment in computer and information science programs at four-year institutions fell 8.4% by spring this year.

International students are facing additional difficulties because of both the changing job market and US immigration policies. Many smaller technology companies lack the human resources capacity to handle H-1B visa requirements, while the visa program has also come under pressure from the Trump administration.

Universities are responding by changing their computer science programs and adding more AI-focused training. Some are also developing internships tailored to specific industries.

At Georgia Tech, for example, professors worked with telecommunications company AT&T to train students before their internships. The university plans to expand the model through its “Bootcamp to Industry” program and is also reaching out to companies from industries such as forestry that are seeking ways to use AI.