A new report from financial operations platform Ramp and workforce data company Revelio Labs provides a counterpoint to widespread fears that artificial intelligence will lead to mass unemployment. The study, released at the end of June, analyzed over 21,000 U.S. firms and found that companies that have deeply integrated AI into their operations actually grew their workforce significantly after adoption.
Key Findings on Employment Growth
The report reveals that companies adopting AI experienced an average headcount increase of 10.2% in the two years following adoption. However, this growth is not uniform across all firms. The researchers divided companies into “high-intensity adopters” and “low-intensity adopters” based on their AI spending per employee per month over the first three months after initial adoption. High-intensity adopters spent an average of $33.67 per person monthly on AI services, including coding agents, large language models, GPU cloud, API tokens, and model serving. In contrast, low-intensity adopters spent only $2.78 per person monthly. Nearly all of the overall 10.2% headcount growth came from high-intensity adopters.
“If you are on the job market, you are simultaneously hearing that you must learn AI, or you’ll get left behind. And yet, AI is also going to be the technology that will likely lead to your layoff,” said Ara Kharazian, Ramp’s lead economist, in describing the mixed messages job seekers face. The report aims to cut through that confusion by showing that joining a company heavily investing in AI may actually be the safer career move. “That’s the one that’s going to grow faster,” Kharazian added.
Entry-Level Jobs and AI
One of the most striking findings concerns entry-level positions. Contrary to fears that AI would eliminate junior roles—especially following warnings from figures like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, who said in 2025 that half of entry-level white-collar jobs could disappear—the report found that high-intensity adopters grew entry-level headcount by 12%. This suggests that companies are not only retaining but actively seeking out recent graduates and young professionals who are adept at using AI tools. “Young people, especially, are very well positioned to show that they can introduce these new technologies and apply them effectively to the workplace,” Kharazian said.
This trend aligns with the broader narrative that AI is creating new opportunities for those who can demonstrate proficiency with the technology. Companies are looking for employees who can integrate AI into workflows, automate routine tasks, and drive productivity gains. The 12% growth in entry-level hiring indicates that junior roles are not being eliminated but rather reshaped, with an emphasis on AI literacy and adaptability.
The Small Business Gap
While large, VC-backed, engineering-focused firms are leading the charge in AI adoption, smaller businesses are falling behind. The report highlights that smaller companies are less likely to be high-intensity adopters, partly because they lack the networks, funding, and talent pools that bigger firms can leverage. “So much of your usage of AI, and how you use it and whether or not you use it well, is also driven by who you know and where you can hire from and the networks you’re connected to,” Kharazian noted.
This disparity creates a risk for small businesses: they may be outcompeted by more agile startups or established companies that use AI to accelerate product development, boost sales productivity, and perform faster internal analysis. The report warns that without deliberate efforts to adopt AI, smaller firms could struggle to keep up in an increasingly automated economy.
Comparing AI Job Impact Forecasts
The Ramp and Revelio Labs study arrives amid a landscape of conflicting predictions about AI’s effect on employment. Consultancy Forrester projects that AI will replace about 6% of jobs in the United States by 2030, equivalent to roughly 10.4 million positions. The Boston Consulting Group estimates the displacement rate at 10–15%. And although he later modified his comments, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned in 2025 that half of entry-level white-collar jobs could vanish. These forecasts have fueled anxiety among workers and policymakers.
However, the new report suggests that the net effect on employment may be more nuanced. While some roles may indeed be automated, the companies that are most aggressive in adopting AI are also growing their workforces. The study does not provide a detailed breakdown of which jobs are being created versus eliminated, but it indicates that overall headcount rises rather than falls in AI-intensive firms.
Historically, similar patterns have been observed during previous technological revolutions. The introduction of the personal computer and the internet led to fears of widespread job loss, yet ultimately created entirely new industries and roles. AI may follow a similar trajectory, augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them entirely.
Further Questions and Research
The study acknowledges several areas that require deeper investigation. While the data clearly shows employment growth, it does not reveal which specific business practices drive that growth. The report’s conclusions mention possibilities such as product acceleration, improved sales productivity, and faster internal analysis, but these remain speculative. Kharazian plans to examine the types of candidates being hired and for which roles, as well as whether the patterns hold true beyond white-collar work. For instance, do manufacturing or retail firms that adopt AI also see headcount gains? The current data focuses primarily on firms that use AI for coding, data analysis, and other knowledge-worker functions.
Another open question is whether the benefits of AI adoption will concentrate in a few large firms or spread across the economy. If small businesses cannot keep up, the employment gains may be limited to a handful of tech-intensive sectors. Policymakers and industry leaders may need to consider initiatives to democratize access to AI tools and training.
The report offers a timely reminder that the relationship between AI and employment is not a zero-sum game. Companies that invest heavily in AI are also investing in people—including those just starting their careers. For job seekers, the key takeaway is to focus on building AI skills and seeking out organizations that are committed to leveraging the technology strategically. For businesses, the message is clear: integrating AI deeply and consistently can drive growth, while hesitating may leave them at a competitive disadvantage.
Source: ZDNET News