The cooling U.S. job market is hitting young professionals the hardest, as entry-level wages lose steam amid shrinking hiring opportunities and reduced job mobility.

According to new data from the JPMorgan Chase Institute, annual income growth for workers aged 25 to 29 slowed to 5.2% in September; one of the weakest gains since the Great Recession.

Economists say this marks a sharp reversal from the rapid wage gains seen during the post-pandemic recovery, when companies were aggressively competing for talent.

With fewer job openings now available, younger workers are finding it tougher to negotiate better pay or switch jobs for higher salaries; a strategy that once drove fast income growth for early-career employees.

Adding to the pressure is the rise of artificial intelligence, which

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