Artificial-intelligence coding assistants and a fresh wave of layoffs at Amazon, Microsoft and other large technology firms are erasing the entry-level positions traditionally filled by new computer-science graduates. As a result, the unemployment rate for U.S. computer-science majors aged 22 to 27 has climbed to 6.1%, more than double that of recent biology or art-history graduates, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Computer-engineering majors fare even worse at 7.5%. Industry retrenchment coincides with rapid adoption of generative-AI tools that can write, test and debug software, reducing demand for junior developers. Job-site Indeed estimates postings for junior-level tech roles are 21% below pre-pandemic levels even as openings for senior positions rise. ‘Those roles most likely to be automated are exactly the ones recent graduates seek,’ said Matthew Martin, senior economist at Oxford Economics. The reversal is unprecedented, said Jeff Forbes, a former National Science Foundation program director, noting that graduates just a few years ago were juggling multiple offers. Last year roughly 170,000 U.S. students completed computer-science degrees—more than twice the 2014 total—exacerbating competition at a time when some candidates report submitting hundreds or even thousands of applications without success. Individual stories illustrate the squeeze. Purdue University graduate Manasi Mishra said the only interview she secured after a year-long search was with fast-food chain Chipotle. Oregon State graduate Zach Taylor has applied for 5,762 tech jobs and received 13 interviews but no offers, eventually seeking retail work to cover expenses. Policy makers and employers are scrambling to respond. The White House’s new national AI action plan calls for channeling more students into advanced AI roles, while Microsoft has earmarked $4 billion for AI-related training. Executives including Centerview Partners’ Blair Effron argue that skills such as critical thinking, writing and broad-based judgment—which current AI systems cannot replicate—will become increasingly valuable as automation reshapes white-collar career paths.