Remote Work System Quietly Discourages Companies from Hiring New Graduates

The decline in entry-level or fresh graduate recruitment in recent years is more influenced by work-from-home (WFH) systems than advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), according to research by Peter John Lambert of the London School of Economics and Yannick Schindler of the Ellison Institute of Technology. The study analysed Revelio Labs data covering 243 million new hires and 407 million job openings from Lightcast across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia from 2017 to 2025. Findings show remote work exposure is a more accurate predictor of declining entry-level recruitment than generative AI. ‘Our findings strongly indicate that work-from-home exposure is a better predictor of declining entry-level recruitment,’ the researchers stated, as cited by Business Insider on 28 May 2026. While AI’s development has often been linked to slower junior hiring, the study notes that roles most affected by AI are typically those easily performed remotely, such as software developers, consultants, accountants, and data scientists. When analysing AI and WFH separately, both correlate with weakened junior recruitment. However, when tested together, AI’s impact significantly weakens—often statistically indistinguishable from zero. The researchers argue that remote work increases monitoring and supervision costs for new employees and slows their learning process. ‘This organisational hurdle can reduce companies’ investment value in early-career talent,’ the report states.