Salesforce to hire 1,000 graduates, interns amid AI job fears
What's the story
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has announced plans to hire 1,000 graduates and interns. The move is aimed at bolstering the company's expanding artificial intelligence (AI) product line-up. These include Agentforce and Headless360. The announcement comes as a counter to fears that AI could lead to the loss of entry-level jobs.
Job market impact
Benioff addresses AI job loss concerns
Responding to concerns about AI taking over entry-level roles, Benioff said the fears are exaggerated. He argued that instead of eliminating jobs, the technology is actually creating new ones. His statement comes amid a debate with venture capitalist David Sacks's observation that hiring of new graduates has increased by 5.6% in the last year while unemployment among degree holders aged 20-24 has decreased from 8.9% to 5.3%.
Hiring amidst layoffs
Salesforce announced job cuts in February
The hiring initiative comes after Salesforce announced job cuts in February this year. The company had cut fewer than 1,000 roles, affecting positions in marketing, product management, data analytics and Agentforce AI product. Despite the layoffs, Salesforce has raised its fiscal 2026 revenue and adjusted profit forecasts due to anticipated growth in its AI agent platform from strong enterprise demand.
Financial outlook
Salesforce raises revenue forecast for fiscal 2026
In October, Salesforce projected a revenue of over $60 billion by 2030, exceeding market estimates. The projection comes as the company seeks to expand its AI-powered cloud suite adoption. For fiscal 2026, Salesforce expects a revenue between $41.45 billion and $41.55 billion, up from its previous forecast of between $41.1 billion and $41.3 billion.