Coding Jobs in Crisis: AI Takes Over, Young Graduates Lose Out

The tech industry is changing fast, and not in a good way for young people who just got their coding degrees. A few years back, learning to code was a sure way to get a great job. But now, things are different. Many companies are using AI to do the work instead of hiring people. A recent study shows that jobs for young coders, especially those between 22 and 25, have dropped by 13%. This is a big deal because these are the people who just finished school and are looking for their first job. The study also found that the job market for coding peaked in 2022, but by July 2025, it had dropped by almost 20%. Some people thought AI would help coders do their jobs better. But it turns out, AI is making things worse. A veteran coder wrote that young developers use AI tools all the time. They can write code faster, but they don't really understand it. This means they might not be able to fix problems when they come up.AI-generated code is also full of mistakes and security risks. A study found that developers using AI were 19% slower and had to fix more errors. They thought they were doing better, but they weren't. Another study found that AI-generated code had a lot of security problems. This could lead to more software bugs and security issues for everyone. If fewer people understand how to fix code, it will take longer to fix problems. This is especially worrying because banks and other important places are using AI to write code. So, not only are young coders losing jobs, but the software we all use might also become less safe.