Recent college graduates are entering one of the toughest entry-level job markets in years, as hiring slows and concerns mount that artificial intelligence could reshape early career roles, The New York Times reported April 28.
Junior-level job postings on Indeed fell 7% in 2025, while applications per posting surged, according to an April 23 report from the Indeed Hiring Lab. As competition intensifies, some graduates report applying to more than 100 jobs without securing an interview, the Times reported.
AI was the second-most-common reason cited for layoffs across industries in October, according to a report published in November. Artificial intelligence contributed to 48,414 cuts between January and October, including 31,039 in October alone.
Healthcare has remained largely insulated from AI job losses facing other industries, however. Researchers at GovAI predict patient care roles — such as physician assistants, surgical technologists and registered nurses — have low vulnerability to AI job losses, while roles such as medical secretaries and administrative assistants have the highest vulnerability.
As graduates widen their job searches, healthcare — one of the few sectors with structured training pathways and sustained labor demand — is emerging as a potential landing spot, even for those without clinical backgrounds. For health systems facing persistent workforce gaps, that shift could present an opportunity.
At New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, leaders are already seeing more applicants from backgrounds that are not traditionally common to healthcare.
“We have seen a shift in the applicant pool,” Teri Manno, vice president and head of career services at Northwell, told Becker’s. “For example, many more ‘traditional educational’ roles (teachers, principals, nursery school teachers) are seeking roles within the healthcare environment. It aligns with their sense of purpose and making a difference in others’ lives, and also provides a better future for growth and professional fulfillment.”
Northwell operates health sciences schools across imaging, nursing, emergency medicine and behavioral health, giving the system one of the broader education footprints among U.S. health systems. Ms. Manno said these schools are also seeing increased interest from professionals pursuing a “second career” in healthcare, even for younger professionals early into their first career, as well as veterans and retirees drawn to the field’s mission-driven work, she said.
The range of available roles may be wider than many candidates realize, spanning from nonclinical roles such as IT and food service to clinical positions such as imaging and monitor technicians. A LinkedIn News analysis published April 15 of the fastest-growing job titles for recent graduates includes roles within hospitals and health systems, including marketing coordinator, recruitment assistant, legal specialist and human resources operations specialist.
“When many people think about healthcare careers, they still usually picture doctors, nurses or therapists,” Ms. Manno said. “However, the field also includes many other roles, such as maintenance mechanics, food service workers, finance professionals, security staff, environmental services, engineers, carpenters, legal experts, accountants and tech specialists. It takes a wide range of skills to serve both patients and communities, offering countless ways — directly or indirectly — to make a meaningful difference in patient care.”
These efforts also push back against a persistent perception.
“Not all healthcare careers require an advanced degree,” Ms. Manno said. Many roles require only a high school diploma or certification — including pharmacy technicians, sterile processing technicians, medical assistants, lab technicians, administrative assistants and EMTs — while others require an associate degree, such as surgical technologists, LPNs and radiology technologists.
To raise awareness of these opportunities, Ms. Manno said Northwell offers career guidance, workshops and educational sessions on healthcare careers. These include community-based workshops in partnership with local and faith-based organizations, virtual information sessions and educational series, and “train and earn” programs that provide paid pathways into roles such as nursing assistants, EMTs and pharmacy technicians.
Once candidates enter the field, the next challenge is retaining them. Health systems are increasingly investing in internal training and career mobility programs to highlight those pathways. Northwell, for example, has expanded tuition reimbursement, mentorship and “earn while you learn” programs through its Center for Learning and Innovation, which has been operating since 2001. The system has also partnered with New York City Public Schools and Bloomberg Philanthropies to establish a high school in Queens dedicated to healthcare education — part of a broader trend of systems building healthcare pathways directly into K-12 curriculum.
Other systems are also investing in early career pathways, including Norfolk, Va.-based Sentara Health. Justin Fulton, senior vice president and chief talent and learning officer, told Becker’s in July that Generation Z healthcare workers do not just ask for career growth and development — “they demand it.”
Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., has recruited entry-level workers without healthcare degrees through a seven-month patient care technician apprenticeship in partnership with Trinity Washington University, also based in the city. After completing the program, apprentices move into patient care technician roles and begin a pathway to become registered nurses, Chief People Officer Gina Cronin told Becker’s in November.
“This is a unique opportunity where it is the ultimate win-win,” Ms. Cronin said. “How do we attract new caregivers into our workforce for these roles that have critical shortages but are also well-paying careers? How do we support entry into those roles from either our own workforce or the communities that we serve that require no skills, no degrees, and support them along the way?”
Mentorship has also emerged as a retention lever. Columbia-based University of Missouri Health Care has implemented strategic initiatives to support recent graduates, System Chief Nurse Executive Shanon Fucik, BSN, told Becker’s in August.
“We ensure more frequent touchpoints across all shifts for nurses, particularly during their first year, and have established a mentorship program designed to support our new graduates,” Ms. Fucik said. “These efforts foster an inclusive environment, encouraging collaboration and professional growth among our nursing staff.”
For healthcare leaders, the moment calls for greater visibility into entry-level pathways and the structures to keep new graduates once they arrive. The candidates rethinking their options in an AI-shadowed job market are likely the same ones who will expect clear growth from day one.
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