Marketing firms and advertising agencies are struggling to attract entry-level candidates and interns amid a downturn in interest from college graduates and other young professionals, according to a new report released this week.
Data from Live Data Technologies shows that internships at U.S. marketing and advertising firms have been falling year over year since 2022 — which, not coincidentally, coincides with the introduction of off-the-shelf generative artificial intelligence tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Traditionally, marketers and advertising firms can count on an uptick in interest from prospective college interns during the summer months. Three years ago, the amount of college intern applicants was 125 percent higher in the summer compared to the prior winter; this year, that number was just 40 percent, Live Data Technologies reported.
The analysis, which included large agencies like IPG, Omnicom, and Publicis-owned Digitas and Starcom, points to multiple factors behind the drop. Industry consolidation, layoffs, and a heavier reliance on artificial intelligence have pushed companies to prioritize mid- and senior-level roles over early-career ones. Industry experts say the shift coincides with automated technology — like the type brought on by AI — that has displaced many entry-level positions.
Employment data supports this shift. Since January 2022, overall staff roles at marketing and advertising agencies have dropped by nearly 11 percent, while management positions have remained largely stable.
The trend coincides with fewer young people in the workforce overall. In 2019, employees aged 20 to 24 made up 10.5 percent of the advertising and public relations sector, according to federal labor data. Last year, that figure dropped to 6.5 percent. The median industry age rose from 38.5 in 2019 to nearly 40 in 2024.
Adweek was the first to report on Live Data Technologies’ marketing and advertising employment study.