Workers fear AI job losses, but data shows limited impact so far

In short: People are worried that AI could take jobs soon, but recent data suggests the overall job market has not shifted much yet.

What's going on

Worker anxiety about AI is high. A January 2025 survey of more than 1,000 U.S. workers found 89% were concerned about AI and job security. In that same survey, 44% expected AI to take over some of their tasks within five years, and 43% said they know someone who lost a job because of AI.

The survey also pointed to workplace problems beyond layoffs. 63% worried about bias, meaning unfair treatment caused by AI systems (like a tool that wrongly favors certain people). Only 38% said they feel fully supported by their employer, even though 56% said they have received some AI training. Nearly half, 47%, feared a two-tier workforce, where people who know how to use AI move ahead and everyone else falls behind.

Experts and business leaders are split on how fast disruption will arrive. Some warn that advanced AI could cause rapid job losses and even power struggles between countries over who controls the strongest systems. Several CEOs, including leaders at Ford, Amazon, Salesforce, and JPMorgan Chase, have publicly predicted many office jobs could shrink or disappear, and some companies have slowed hiring while they try to adopt AI tools.

At the same time, labor market tracking in 2025 and 2026 suggests the current effect is still small. One tracker estimated AI reduced U.S. monthly payroll growth by about 16,000 jobs and raised unemployment by about 0.1%, with younger workers in AI-exposed roles hit most. Overall U.S. unemployment has remained low, around 4.2%, and some analysts say companies are reorganizing work before AI tools are fully ready.

What to watch

The biggest near-term change may be in tasks, not job titles, like adding a new tool to an existing job rather than replacing the whole role (similar to a calculator changing accounting work). Watch for whether employers invest more in training, and whether hiring slowdowns turn into broader layoffs as AI tools improve.

Source: NYTimes