By Andrew Miller
Nearly a million fresh grads will be job hunting this summer. Small businesses are ready for them.
About 974,000 recent graduates will be hired at small businesses during the 2026 hiring season, according to a new report from payroll platform Gusto. That’s a modest bump from last year, though still below the hiring highs of 2021.
The class of 2026 is notable for one reason: they’re the first to spend their entire college career in the post-ChatGPT era. And the job market they’re stepping into looks nothing like the one their older siblings entered.
Before the AI era reshaped hiring, the most common titles were Software Engineer, Recruiter, Financial Analyst, and Sales Development Representative. Now, titles like AI Engineer and Founding Engineer are surging.
In addition, CEO is one of the fastest-growing titles as more grads skip the corporate ladder and start their own companies.
Not everyone is going the AI route, though. Field Manager and Service Technician are also among the fastest-growing titles. These roles are gaining ground because they require showing up in person. So far, they can’t be done from behind a screen. That makes them AI-resistant, for now.
The shift isn’t accidental. AI has gotten good at the tasks entry-level jobs were traditionally built around: routine analysis, basic communications, and first-pass research. As that work gets automated, demand is moving toward workers who can build with AI… or do work it simply can’t touch.
P.S. Hiring is one of the biggest investments a small business makes. If you need the capital to do it right, Signet can help. Get in touch here.