Siemens Chief Human Resources Officer Judith Wiese issued a warning on October 20, 2026, about the potential long-term impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on entry-level jobs in Germany. This concern arises as an exclusive analysis by the StepStone job platform revealed that job advertisements for career starters in Germany reached a record low in the first quarter of 2025, falling 45% below the five-year average.

This development suggests a future workforce potentially lacking foundational practical skills, which could hinder critical evaluation of AI outputs and impact long-term career development for young professionals in Germany.

What the records show

Judith Wiese stated on October 20, 2026, that if new employees are not given opportunities to gain foundational experience through practical tasks, critical skills necessary for future roles could be lost. She highlighted the scenario for software developers, noting that AI and agents can increasingly write both simple and complex code. Wiese emphasized that the central human task would then shift to critically questioning this code, posing the key question: "What do I need to have done, checked and seen so that I don't blindly trust the AI?". She stressed that companies must ensure young employees have the chance to perform tasks themselves and gain the necessary experience to review and validate AI outputs.

The StepStone job platform's analysis indicated a significant decline in entry-level opportunities, with job advertisements for career starters in Germany 45% below the five-year average in the first quarter of 2025. This decline is partly attributed to AI automating tasks traditionally performed by those entering the workforce, such as research, data preparation, basic programming, standard design, and routine administrative duties. This automation is leading to the disappearance of many traditional 'learning jobs,' reducing hands-on learning experiences for entry-level professionals. A study from TU Darmstadt and a Mercer survey, reported on September 25, 2026, found that 99% of German CEOs anticipate workforce reductions in favor of AI tools within the next two years. However, 85% of surveyed German workers reported no corporate AI training, pointing to an