Generative AI cuts young hires in exposed jobs by 28% in France

Generative AI has caused a sharp decline in permanent job hires for young people aged 21-29 in the most exposed occupations, according to a joint study by the Bank of France and HEC's Laboratoire de l'innovation et du futur du travail published Thursday. By March 2026, such hires were 28.3% lower than in November 2022, when AI became widely accessible. The study, led by economist Antonin Bergeaud, ranks private-sector jobs by AI exposure using France Travail data and a language model assessment. Most vulnerable roles include text processing operators, interpreters, translators, journalists, economic and financial study officers, and banking operations technicians. The findings were cross-referenced with surveys from 6,000 companies on their AI usage in spring 2026.