7 out of 10 workers are worried about jobs in age of AI: Survey
Workable's AI in Hiring & Work survey finds that seven in 10 workers are worried about the impact of AI on their jobs. This is an excerpt from our AI in Hiring and Work survey report, based on responses from 950 hiring managers in the US and UK. Visit here to download the report in full.
In 2008-09, it was the subprime mortgage crisis. In 2020, it was the pandemic. In 2022, it was the invasion of Ukraine. And now, we have AI.
All of these things contributed to destabilization of economies – and at the individual level, anxieties around job security.
In Workable’s AI in Hiring & Work survey, one of the questions we asked was about how employees are feeling about AI’s emergence as a mainstay in the workplace.
So, are employees worried about their jobs? Yep, they are.
Nearly seven out of 10 (68.1%) say employees in their company frequently or occasionally express concerns about AI impacting their job security.
Only 7.9% – less than one in 12 – say they don’t see those concerns being raised in their workplace.
Frequently asked questions
- How many employees are concerned about AI affecting their job security?
- Nearly 68.1% of employees express concerns, occasionally or frequently, about AI impacting their job stability. This sentiment reflects the growing unease as AI technologies become more prevalent in various industries.
- Are there industries less worried about AI and job security?
- Yes, the Education and Retail sectors show less concern, with only 61.1% and 55.2% of their employees respectively worried about AI's impact on jobs, suggesting varying levels of AI adoption and its perceived threat across sectors.
- Which industry has the highest level of concern regarding AI and job security?
- The Construction industry leads in AI adoption and consequently, job security worries, with 84% of employees expressing concern, significantly above the overall average.
- What percentage of employees never discuss AI-related job security worries?
- A small fraction, 7.9%, report that AI-related job security is never a topic of concern in their workplace, highlighting that the majority are indeed pondering the implications of AI on their employment.
- How does the Retail industry's perspective on AI and job security differ from the overall sentiment?
- In Retail, 40.3% of employees rarely or never voice concerns over AI affecting their job security, which is notably higher than the overall 30%, indicating a more optimistic outlook on AI's impact in this sector.
