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Isaac, 33, has been a mid-level software development engineer at a Big Tech firm for four years, and noticed entry-level job postings dropping at his workplace at the start of 2025. The work, however, didnt vanish with them. Tasks once handled by junior engineerslike writing and testing code, fixing bugs, and contributing to development projectswere absorbed by senior staff, often with the assumption that AI would make up the difference.And while AI has sped up the velocity of shipping code and features, there are fewer people to do tasks like designing, testing, and working with stakeholders, which AI has zero grasp on. The cracks have been hard to ignore. Seniors are burning out, and when they leave, theres no rush to replace them, because the AI will do it! Isaac says. Worried that hell become the next strung-out senior, hes looking for his exit, ideally at a smaller tech firm. (Isaac spoke to Fast Company under a pseudonym to avoid possible retaliation.) The shift is striking, given how recently corporate America was courting Gen Z with fanatic fervor. Organizations raced to prove they understood younger employees. They flooded LinkedIn with thought leadership on the multigenerational workplace of the future, and retooled benefits programs to include wellness stipends and mental health days. Reverse mentorship programs, through which younger employees share knowledge and perspectives with more senior colleaguestouted by companies like Target, Accenture, and PwCpromised to give junior employees a voice in shaping culture and strategy. Some firms even brought Gen Z voices into the boardroom.Yet now, in the case of firms like Isaacs, entry-level workers, once heralded as essential to innovation and growth, are struggling to get a toelet alone a footin the door. Internships, starter jobs, and junior roles, the indispensable on-ramps to white-collar careers, have been evaporating for several years due to cost pressures and post-pandemic belt-tightening. Since 2023, entry-level job postings in the U.S. have sunk 35%, according to labor research firm Revelio Labs.The advent of AI is accelerating the entry-level apocalypse. Two-fifths of global leaders revealed that entry-level roles have already been reduced or cut due to efficiencies made by AI conducting research, admin, and briefing tasks, and 43% expect this to happen in the next year. While theres steady hiring or even growth in the skilled trades, were seeing entry-level vacancies fall significantly in tech and customer service and sales roles, says Mona Mourshed, founder of the workplace development nonprofit Generation. Being in the business of training and placing people into entry-level roles, we find it deeply concerning. Graduates are clearly not okaybut neither are the companies that decided they could do without them. AI at work: the supercar with no driver The logic was seductive in its simplicity. Cut costs, move faster, shrink training budgets, let AI and a leaner workforce handle the rest. In reality, its producing something else entirely: flattened teams with little agency, endless cycles of rework, and exhausted senior employees juggling all task levels at once. One redditor who posted about how their company has stopped hiring entry-level engineers, received hundreds of other responses as others chiming in with similar stories. One commenter noted: Not sure what the plan will be after the knowledge transfer is over.Isaac has watched this dynamic unfold firsthand. Leaders at his company see AI as a force multiplier, and are fixated on shipping features quickly. Isaac can see their point: [AI] can straight up write better, faster, more legible code than most developers, he admits. However, he points out, any seasoned engineer knows the hard part isn’t writing the code, its the design and testing. Yet, theres far fewer people to delegate this work to, so senior developers are left to do this on their own. Compounding the problem is the fact that AI doesnt understand the problem its meant to solve. Left unchecked, it can go rogue. Isaac recalls multiple instances of chatbots deleting production stacksunpromptedbecause they couldn’t figure out how to solve an issue. Without an expert who knows how to prompt and guide it, AI is just a supercar with no driver, he says. The team has seen their workload steadily increase in line with automation, so the time savings it creates have had little impact. Many seniors have checked out, with several burned out engineers signed off for medical leave. Research from the project management platform Asana underscores this growing “efficiency illusion.” While 77% of workers are already using AI agents and expect to hand more off to them in the next year, nearly two-thirds say the tools are unreliable, and more than half say agents confidently produce incorrect or misleading information. The result is time down the drain: a U.S. study found that employees are spending an extra 4.5 hours a week fixing AI workslop. AI can make work look faster on the surface, but it can also create a lot of cleanup workdouble-checking outputs, correcting errors, and redoing steps that were based on faulty information, Mark Hoffman, Asanas Work Innovation Lead, tells Fast Company. When something goes wrong, accountability is murky, he adds, and the responsibility often falls back on the employee to catch errors, explain outcomes, and manage the risk. Its driving up already record-high levels of burnout; 77% of knowledge workers say their workloads are unmanageable, and 84% are digitally exhausted.When errors slip through, the consequences are costly and embarrassing. Three-quarters of Americans report at least one negative consequence from poor AI outputs, including work rejected by stakeholders (28%), security incidents (27%), and customer complaints (25%). In October, Deloitte was forced to refund the Australian Department of Employment and Workplace Reltions after a report was found to contain AI hallucinations and workslop. In the past, newbie consultants would have handled tasks such as this. However, notably, Deloitte cut its graduate cohort by 18% and slashed hundreds of early-career roles earlier that summer. The demographic time bomb Not only are workloads increasing, by hollowing out their junior ranks, businesses are putting themselves squarely in the path of a slow-burning demographic time bomb as seniors begin to retire in record numbers.From 2024 to 2032, 18.4 million experienced workers age 55 to 64 with postsecondary education are expected to retire, but only 13.8 million younger workers (currently age 16 to 24) are entering with equivalent qualifications. Even in an AI-powered economy, where certain jobs will be automated, companies still need humans with judgment-, context-, institutional-, and sector-specific insight. Yet plenty are making movesat least for todayto wipe out the training ground that turns beginners into experts.There wont be an endless supply of experienced hires to fall back on, so everyone will be fighting for the limited, increasingly expensive talent with domain expertise, says Cali Williams Yost, futurist and founder of flexible-work consulting firm Flex+Strategy Group. Companies have maybe five years to train younger workers to take over and gain the niche knowledge, so AI has something to augment. Moe Hutt, an entry-level recruitment marketing expert and director of consulting at recruitment marketing agency HireClix, has watched clients scale back or abandon entry-level hiring, citing AI-aided workflows and economic uncertainty. Hutt points to the less visible fallout within organizations beyond damaging the talent pipeline. Its human nature to want to help, she says. When theres no release valve of training juniors, it creates friction everywhere. For middle and senior management, delegating, teaching, and watching someone grow is a reward for the experience. Research consistently shows that sharing knowledge and mentoring improves motivation, boosts psychological well-being, and reduces burnout among experienced employees. With no one to train or teach, disengagement spreads, eroding a workforce where most people have already checked out. Being AI-savvy and being prepared for the demographic cliff arent mutually exclusive. Organizations can build pro-worker environments where employees are augmented with AI, without hollowing out their future talent pipelines. PwCadmittedly, another firm which has been open about its cuts to entry-level recruiting, at least in the U.K.is experimenting with what that balance could look like by training junior accountants to become managers of AI. Entry-level employees gain early exposure to leadership and accountability, while the firm builds a cache of managers that are fluent in both human judgment and machine output. Its proof that efficiency and succession planning can coexist. This matters because disappearing entry-level jobs arent just a problem for the corporate workforceit will be a societal crisis, too. A functioning society depends on younger generations steadily taking over from older ones. AI might be able to write the code, but without people trained to guide it, question it, and eventually replace their elders, there will be no one left to keep the lights on.
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Until recently, Peter Attia was best known as a wellness influencer and a newly appointed contributor at CBS. He hosts a popular podcast, boasts more than 1.6 million Instagram followers, and wrote a best-selling book about longevity. That image cracked this week when it was revealed that Attias name appears more than 1,700 times in the latest Epstein files release. As the emails circulated on social media, longtime followers of his methods, along with medical professionals, reacted with outrage. Peter Attia being Epstein’s concierge doctor is by far the weirdest crossover, one X user wrote. Another one X user quipped: Peter Attias stress level right now must be entirely undoing whatever longevity gains he has enjoyed. Peter Attia being Epstein's concierge doctor is by far the weirdest crossover— AJAC (@AJA_Cortes) February 1, 2026 Others said the revelations were not surprising. The Peter Attia stuff is sad but not surprising, author Brad Stulberg posted on X. The entire health, performance, and longevity space is filled with narcissistic sociopathic grifters. The Peter Attia stuff is sad but not surprising. The entire health, performance, and longevity space is filled with narcissistic sociopathic grifters.— Brad Stulberg (@BStulberg) February 1, 2026 Why are people surprised that someone who dropped out of residency, worked for an international consultancy firm, pretended to cry on TED stage, and charges over $100K/year for concierge “longevity” medicine…turned out to be unsavory? another medical professional wrote. Some of y’all will never learn.” Why are people surprised that someone who dropped out of residency, worked for an international consultancy firm, pretended to cry on TED stage, and charges over $100K/year for concierge "longevity" medicine…turned out to be unsavory?Some of y'all will never learn.— Remnant | MD (@RemnantMd) February 2, 2026 Some zeroed in on new context around Attias own prior admission, detailed in his book, that he failed to be at his wifes side when his son fell seriously ill. As his baby son lay in ICU, Peter Attia told his wife that he was too busy with important work in NYC to fly home to see him, one X user noted. He was with Jeffery Epstein. As his baby son lay in ICU, Peter Attia told his wife that he was too busy with important work in NYC to fly home to see him. He was with Jeffery Epstein. pic.twitter.com/lcfBMcaa5z— Dave @ Longevity Labs (@Dave_Longevity) February 2, 2026 The released correspondence shows Attia maintaining a friendly and at times flippant tone with Epstein. In one message dated June 24, 2015, Attia wrote: You the biggest problem with becoming friends with you? The life you lead is so outrageous, and yet I cant tell a soul In perhaps the most gratuitous email, Attia joked about the carb content of performing a sexual act. In July 2016, Attia asked Epstein what he was doing in Palm Beach, where Epstein allegedly sexually abused underage girls during the 2000s. Guess, Epstein replied. Attia answered: Besides that. Attias regular correspondence with Epstein continued years after Epstein pled guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor. In a lengthy X post addressing the emails on Monday, Attia said he questioned Epstein about those charges and claimed Epstein grossly minimized them. Attia has since stepped down as chief science officer of David Protein, the company confirmed Monday. CBS editor in chief Bari Weiss has also faced public calls to cut ties after Attia was named among 19 new CBS News contributors just days before the emails were made public. Attia said on X that he never witnessed illegal behavior and never saw anyone who appeared underage in Epsteins presence. He added that he was never on his plane, never on his island, and never present at any sex parties. The following email is what I sent my team last night. I sent a similar version to my patients, also. ***Youve put your trust, your credibility, and your hard work into what we have built together, and I take that responsibility seriously. You deserve a complete and honest— Peter Attia (@PeterAttiaMD) February 2, 2026 Other released emails show Attia saying that he goes into JE withdrawal when I dont see him and suggesting that he hoped to one day go to Epsteins private island. I need to visit some time, Attia wrote.
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Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. During the Pandemic Housing Boom, housing demand surged rapidly amid ultralow interest rates, stimulus, and the remote work boom. Federal Reserve researchers estimate new construction would have had to increase by roughly 300% to absorb the pandemic-era surge in demand. Unlike housing demand, housing stock isnt as elastic and can’t quickly ramp up. As a result, the heightened demand drained the market of active inventory and caused home prices to overheat, with U.S. home prices in June 2022 sitting a staggering 43.2% above March 2020 levels. Since that national boom ended in mid-2022, the housing market has been moving through a cyclical cooling phase and undergoing a period of recalibration and normalization after such a large burst. Look no further than the share of U.S. homes that sold below their original list price, by year, according to a new Redfin report: 2018 > 62% 2019 > 64% 2020 > 55% 2021 > 38% 2022 > 42% 2023 > 54% 2024 > 58% 2025 > 62% The share of homes selling below their original list price varies by region. Many Sun Belt pandemic-boom marketsparticularly across Florida and Texasare seeing the highest prevalence of homes selling below their initial ask. By contrast, many Northeast and Midwest metros remain, relatively speaking, more resilient, with fewer than half of homes selling below list in several markets. Parts of San Francisco and San Jose have regained a bit of mojo amid the AI boom. window.addEventListener("message",function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data["datawrapper-height"][t]+"px";r.style.height=d}}}); Some sellers are recognizing the market has changed and others are not . . . I have one seller who overpaid for their home a few years ago and wants to list it at $950,000. The problem is recent comps call for a list price of $825,000,” writes Connie Durnal, a Redfin Premier real estate agent in Dallas. “I have another seller who paid $400,000 for their home but was willing to list it at $385,000, which was a great strategy. Because the home was fairly priced, it got multiple offers and sold for $10,000 over the asking price. Redfins analysis is based on annual MLS data comparing original list prices with final sale prices. The firm didnt publish data for every metro.
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E-Commerce
These are tough times for many businesses across corporate America, many of whom are cutting down on business travel, and perks on the road. And in these times, one company’s policy on business travel is going viral: According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Cracker Barrel employees reportedly must follow a new policy that they can only eat at Cracker Barrel restaurants while traveling for work. But according to Cracker Barrel, that’s not exactly true. “The policy for employees to dine at Cracker Barrel while traveling for business, whenever practical based on location and schedule, is not new,” Cracker Barrel explained to Fast Company in an email statement. “Also, it is not the only place that our employees may eat when on the road, as previously reported. The change was to further limit reimbursement of alcoholic beverages under the policy.” Still, backlash to the reported policy comes during a rough patch for the American restaurant chain known for its Southern charm, marked by declining sales, and more customer backlash over a recent botched attempt to rebrand. In August, Cracker Barrel unveiled a new campaign starring country music artist Jordan Davis that revamped its “Old Timer” logo and menus, and lightened up the restaurant’s dining rooms, to the dismay of longtime customers. (The reaction can be summed up by one TikTok user who posted, I prefer the darker cozier look, I also dont like change.”) The company was soon forced to walk back the plans, and later said it wouldn’t change the logo. Cracker Barrel financials Shares of Cracker Barrel (NASDAQ: CBRL) were down less than 1% in midday trading on Tuesday at the time of this writing. The Tennessee-based chain’s first quarter fiscal 2026 earnings missed expectations, with total revenue at $797.2 million, down 5.7% compared to the prior year first quarter; same-store restaurant sales down 4.7% over the prior year quarter, and comparable store retail sales down 8.5%.
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E-Commerce
PayPal is replacing CEO Alex Chriss with Enrique Lores, saying that the pace of change and execution at the company has not met board expectations over the past two years. Lores has served as a PayPal board member for almost five years and has been board Chair since July 2024. He’s also spent more than six years as president and CEO of HP Inc. The payments industry is changing faster than ever, driven by new technologies, evolving regulations, an increasingly competitive landscape, and the rapid acceleration of AI that is reshaping commerce daily, Lores said in a statement on Tuesday. “PayPal sits at the center of this change, and I look forward to leading the team to accelerate the delivery of new innovations and to shape the future of digital payments and commerce. PayPal’s board thanked Chriss for his contributions, including the role he played to monetize Venmo and grow the Buy Now Pay Later business. Lores will take over as PayPal CEO on March 1. David Dorman will serve as independent chair, effective immediately. PayPal’s Chief Financial and Operating Officer Jamie Miller will serve as interim CEO until Lores assumes the position. PayPal also reported its fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. The technology platform and digital payments company posted an adjusted profit of $1.23 per share on revenue of $8.68 billion. The performance missed the expectations of analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research, who were looking for a profit of $1.29 per share on revenue of $8.77 billion. The San Jose, California-based company also forecast lower profit for the first quarter. Shares slid 16% before the market open. Michelle Chapman, AP business writer
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E-Commerce
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