Cuban urges job seekers to target small businesses for AI roles amid tech layoffs
While major tech firms trim workforces, Mark Cuban says small businesses are underutilising AI and need skilled workers to implement the technology.
Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban has advised job seekers to prioritise applications to small businesses, citing a high demand for AI talent within the sector. Cuban argued that small enterprises create approximately 60% of new annual jobs and require AI expertise to compete with larger corporations. He contends that while major tech firms are reducing headcount, small businesses are underutilising AI and need skilled workers to implement the technology. This advice contrasts with recent data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, which reported that AI was cited as the primary reason for 40% of job cuts in May.
Cuban stated on X on June 2 that small businesses create roughly 60% of new jobs annually and that this percentage is expected to increase. He argues that AI skills provide an entry point for job seekers because they enable small businesses to compete with larger corporations. Cuban contends that small businesses lack the depth of AI expertise and need help implementing the technology to gain a competitive advantage.
He noted that only 14% of businesses have embedded AI across their organisations, suggesting millions of companies do not have dedicated AI budgets due to their size. Cuban shared this advice on the TBPN podcast last year and on the September 30 episode of The Dumbest Guy in the Room, cited by CNBC. He told one user on X that working at a small business could expedite career skills, jokingly noting it offers "five years of experience in 14 months."
Cuban responded to critics on X who argued smaller companies use AI to reduce headcount, stating they use it to do tasks they previously lacked time for. He told another user that the smallest businesses do not have the depth of expertise in AI and need the help of college graduates who possess that knowledge.
The U.S. economy added 172,000 new jobs in May, outpacing analyst predictions, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average job seeker is waiting six months to land a job, while the median time is nearly three months; both figures are up from April. A report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas released on June 4 found that employers cut 97,000 jobs in May, with AI cited as the primary reason in 40% of those cuts.
Major tech companies are currently trimming workforces to invest more in AI technology. Millions of college students graduated in spring or will graduate later in the month, entering a mixed job market. Cuban’s previous background cards reference a Trump-Xi summit in Beijing and US stock market movements, which are not directly related to Cuban’s specific advice on small business hiring.
