The employment outlook for recent college graduates has been grim since mid-2024, but new survey data suggests that businesses are planning to create significantly more first-hire roles this year than in 2025. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that companies plan to hire 5.6% more newly-minted diploma holders than last year, up from the 1.6 percent increase in entry-level posts participants anticipated creating when they were asked. Additionally, employers plan to take on nearly 4 percent more interns than they did in 2025, according to NACE. The change is attributed to shifting strategies on AI use, with many now more likely to use it to improve new hires rather than replace them.