Due to Artificial Intelligence, the job market is closing its doors to Generation Z. Entry-level job offers have dropped by almost 30% in Europe, and one in three young people regrets their chosen field.

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming the European job market—and for many young people, in a worrying way. Between January 2024 and July 2025, job offers for entry-level positions plummeted by 29% globally, according to the latest employment reports in Europe. In sectors where first job opportunities traditionally concentrated, the decline has been even more drastic: 35% in technology and 24% in finance.

This setback directly impacts Generation Z, which is facing the most competitive and restrictive job market in decades. AI-driven automation, economic pressure, and corporate cost-cutting are shrinking spaces for learning and professional integration for recent graduates. What used to be “entry doors” into the job market have now become increasingly narrow filters.

Spain: Among the countries with the highest career mismatch

Spain stands out as one of the European countries with the greatest mismatch between employment and career aspirations among Generation Z.
A recent Randstad study reveals that 44% of young Spaniards say their current job does not match their desired career path, and 37% admit regretting the sector they chose. This gap reflects a structural disconnect between education, expectations, and the actual opportunities available.

Lack of experience, insecurity about their own abilities, and the scarcity of stable jobs push thousands of young people into precarious positions or far from their vocations. As one young interviewee told Randstad: “I studied engineering, but I work in customer service because it was the only thing I found.”

Giving up one’s values: The price of stability

According to the report Labor Keys – Generation Z, two out of three young Spaniards would accept a job that doesn’t align with their personal values if the economic conditions and benefits were attractive. This trend shows a cultural shift: the need to prioritize financial stability over professional fulfillment or personal ideals.

Insecurity and fear of being left out of the labor system lead many young people to accept any job, even without growth prospects. “AI is not only eliminating positions, it is also redefining what it means to have a career,” says labor economist Jordi Andreu. “Young people no longer think about building a career, but about surviving in the labor market.”

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The rise of “side jobs” and loss of stability

The lack of full-time opportunities has driven a growing phenomenon: secondary jobs or labor multitasking. Only 45% of Spanish Gen Z have a full-time job, while the rest combine various temporary or freelance roles to earn sufficient income.

While this model offers flexibility, it also reflects a crisis of stability: short contracts, lack of social security, and no long-term prospects. The digital economy and “gig work” culture are replacing the ideal of a stable career with one of fragmented survival.

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Educational insecurity and structural barriers

A feeling of inadequacy is another defining trait of this generation.
41% of young Spaniards believe they lack the education or experience necessary to reach their desired professional position, while 40% see their background or family situation as an obstacle to their development. These perceptions reveal a sense of blocked social mobility, where educational efforts do not translate into real opportunities.

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A mobile generation, but without direction

The average duration of a first job among Spanish Gen Z is just 1.1 years, compared to 1.8 for millennials and 2.9 for baby boomers.
Only one in three young people expects to remain in their current job for more than a year, while 53% are actively looking for new opportunities. Lack of professional progress and low salaries stand out as the main causes of high turnover.

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The future of work: Between automation and uncertainty

AI is generating new opportunities but is also raising the bar for market entry. Companies are seeking increasingly specialized profiles, while reducing training and learning roles that once allowed young people to gain experience.

In this context, Generation Z faces a paradox: higher education levels than ever before, but fewer real opportunities. Without active employment policies, training programs adapted to the digital era, and a deep review of the educational model, Europe risks creating a “lost generation”—highly educated, but with no place in the future of work.