Here's something worth thinking about: AI is projected to push productivity gains somewhere between 0.8% to 1.5% each year. Sounds good on paper, right? But here's the catch—the impact on entry and mid-level workers is brutal. This squeeze explains a lot about why fresh college graduates are finding it so tough to land jobs these days. The productivity boost isn't equally distributed. While companies benefit from automation efficiencies, those at the bottom of the career ladder face real headwinds. Job search data backs this up. The market's restructuring faster than new talent can adapt, creating a mismatch between what employers need and what early-career workers can offer. For anyone watching economic cycles, this is worth monitoring—employment pressure often signals broader economic stress ripples across sectors.