Entry-level job vacancies slashed in half, layoffs begin as AI adoption continues

Entry-level jobs are disappearing across Dutch companies, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to affect employment, occasionally leading to layoffs and even bankruptcy, according to recent reports from Intelligence Group and the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV).

Over the past three years, the number of vacancies for starters in the Netherlands has fallen by half. Three years ago, entry-level positions represented over 20 percent of the total job market, but this share has now dropped to 10.3 percent, Intelligence Group reported.

Certain sectors are seeing even sharper declines. In the past year alone, IT saw nearly 70 percent of junior web developer and app programmer positions vanish.

In design, starters are also losing ground: vacancies for graphic designers and multimedia designers fell by almost 60 percent, while marketing and advertising positions for beginners dropped by 50 percent.

The UWV notes that the group of people receiving unemployment benefits is getting younger, a trend that may indicate the disappearance of starter jobs.

The impact of AI on employment is beginning to appear in small-scale incidents. In the third quarter of 2025, three employers reported to the UWV that AI had led to staff layoffs.

Overall, the UWV received 267 notifications of collective dismissals in the first three quarters of 2025, up from 254 for the entirety of 2024. Employers are required to report collective layoffs when more than 20 employees lose their jobs within three months under the Wet melding collectief ontslag (WMCO).

However, the UWV said it cannot determine whether the rise in reorganizations is linked to AI, as employers are not obligated to detail the reasons for layoffs. A UWV spokesperson said, “The intention is to ask more concretely, so we can better understand how AI is influencing the labor market.”