AI and the Workforce Ahead: Handshake Network Trends
What the Class of 2026 tells us about the future of the labor market
AI is the first general-purpose technology introduced to CEOs, tenured professors, and college freshmen at the same time. Now seniors, the Class of 2026 is the first wave of talent to have lived through this shift across their entire college career — from ChatGPT’s launch in November 2022 to their first post-graduation job search today.
Drawing on data from Handshake, this report documents how the Class of 2026 is adapting to a changing early-career market, developing skills employers increasingly demand outside the classroom, and navigating a transition the institutions around them are still figuring out.
