'So much of the work is going to be done by agents': ServiceNow CEO says graduate unemployment could reach 30% because of AI agents

• Graduate unemployment is set to rise as AI agents replace entry-level workers
• Palantir and Amazon already expect human headcounts to decrease
• ServiceNow says AI agents can do customer service work

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott has becomethe latest in a long list of business leaders to suggest AI adoption, particularly agentic AI, could product major challenges for entry-level workers.

Speaking with CNBC, McDermott indicated unemployment among college graduates could reach the mid-30% range within just a few years as AI agents begin to replace more entry-level human workers.

As a result, it's making it harder for graduates to stand out in a shrinking market, and we're already seeing this play true with a 5.7% unemployment rate for recent graduates as of late 2025 (per the Federal Reserve Bank of New York).

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