Report says heavy AI users hired more staff, including entry-level roles

In short: A new report finds that some companies that spend a lot on AI are hiring more people, including more entry-level workers.

What's going on

Fears about AI replacing jobs have grown as more companies announce layoffs. TechCrunch notes that through May 2026, close to 90,000 job cuts were tied to AI, and some forecasts suggest a meaningful share of jobs could disappear over the next few years.

A new report from Ramp and Revelio Labs adds a twist. It looked at AI spending and workforce records across nearly 22,000 companies. The report says “high-intensity” AI adopters, defined as companies spending about $30 per employee per month on AI during an initial three-month period, increased headcount by 10.2%.

The report also says entry-level headcount rose by 12% at these high-intensity adopters. That runs against the common idea that AI will wipe out junior roles first. Job growth in these companies showed up across many areas, including engineering, sales, administration, customer service, finance, marketing, and science roles.

What to watch

The authors caution that this does not mean AI creates jobs everywhere. The data leans toward tech-forward “knowledge work” companies, which may already be growing quickly for other reasons. Another key point is that companies that only try AI in small tests, like buying a few subscriptions, did not see the same hiring gains.

This could widen the gap between firms that can afford to invest deeply in AI and firms that cannot. It is a bit like buying power tools for a workshop, the shops that can buy and learn them may produce more and hire more, while others may fall behind.

Source: TechCrunch AI