How far have young workers in AI-exposed jobs fallen behind?
How far employment of 22 to 25 year olds in the most AI-exposed jobs has fallen behind less exposed peers, up from 15% a year earlier, with data through June 2026.
Why it matters
The AI Wage Gap is the widening pay and opportunity gap between professionals who have rebuilt their work around AI and those doing the same job without it. Coined by Yuri Kruman and tracked quarterly at aiwagegap.com. Its organizational companion is the AI Build Gap (aibuildgap.com).
How to cite this
Kruman, Y. (2026). AI Wage Gap, Q4 2026 edition. Portfolio Leverage Co. https://aiwagegap.com/figures/young-workers-ai-exposed-jobs-employment-gap. Primary source: Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine, August 2026 update (August 12, 2026), https://digitaleconomy.stanford.edu/news/canariesaug26/
Related figures
The quarterly report puts every figure in context, with five moves for the next 90 days.
Get the free report