ServiceNow CEO Warns: AI Agents Could Push Unemployment Among Recent Graduates Past 30%

The Labor Market Is Changing Fundamentally

Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, said on Friday that unemployment among recent graduates "could easily hit the mid-30s over the next couple of years" as a result of AI agents. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has signaled similarly, with plans to reduce hiring numbers in the coming years thanks to AI tools.

Relevance

The workforce strategy for 2027–2030 must be written now — not when the wave hits.

My assessment

This is a leadership discussion that needs to happen inside the company now. Not because we should fear AI, but because we need a deliberate strategy: which roles change? Who do we retrain? I'm helping a couple of industrial companies with this right now, and the challenge is the same everywhere — many roles in supply chain and administration are exposed. Start mapping AI-exposed positions in 2026.