- AI has significantly reduced job opportunities for junior programmers, with employment among developers aged 22-25 down 19% since late 2022.
- The total number of software developers has grown by 10% from May 2022 to May 2025, but the decline in junior roles is masked in aggregate data due to their small workforce share.
- Traditional programming jobs focused on writing code to spec are shrinking, while roles requiring judgment, such as data scientists and systems analysts, are growing.
- A surge in new developers is evident, with GitHub adding 36 million accounts and App Store submissions rising 24% in 2025, but many of these individuals do not identify as programmers.
- The career pipeline for senior developers is at risk because AI now handles junior-level tasks, breaking the traditional apprenticeship model within employment.
- Security concerns are rising as AI-generated code often fails basic tests, and many new apps have critical flaws, highlighting a lack of oversight.
- Some companies, like IBM, are redesigning entry-level roles to focus on customer contact and specification, while others, such as Salesforce, have halted hiring.
- Job postings for entry-level positions began recovering in May 2025, suggesting a potential market correction, but rebuilding the career ladder remains crucial for the profession's future.