In February PwC cut roughly 600 U.S.

Large professional services, consulting, banking and law firms have reduced executive assistant and other back-office headcount, a shift that undermines stable administrative career tracks. In February, PwC cut roughly 600 U.S. employees — a group that included executive assistants and recruiters — and several other major firms have eliminated non-client-facing support staff over the past year. Consulting firms such as McKinsey have also curtailed these roles.

The restructuring has included relocation as well as cuts: reporting found that some executive assistant positions were moved to lower — cost U.S. states or transferred outside the United States. At the same time, employers are shedding other early — career roles, and entry — level positions in fields like software engineering are also disappearing, tightening the labor market for recent graduates.

Executive assistant jobs carried notable pay and stability in certain industries; roles in finance have historically crossed $100,000, so their erosion hits middle — skilled white — collar workers with fewer alternative ladders. Secretaries and assistants are repeatedly identified as among the jobs most exposed to AI-driven disruption, raising the prospect that automation will replace tasks once performed in-house.

Firms point to weaker demand and rising adoption of automation and AI as reasons for the reductions, and PwC’s February cuts were said to be driven in part by greater automation. Some former staffers suspect the moves also aim to cut costs to protect partner compensation. The combined effect is fewer in-office progression paths and more relocation or automation of support work, reshaping career pathways for administrative and early — career employees.