economy
The jobs apocalypse: a (very) short history
AT NO TIME in polling history have Americans been less optimistic about their long-term employment prospects. The average person believes they have a 22% chance of losing their job in the next five years, according to one survey, a higher share than even during the global financial crisis of 2007-09. The cause of this gloom is artificial intelligence. Nearly one in five American workers recently told another pollster that AI or automation is “very” or “somewhat” likely to replace them.
TL;DR
- Americans are less optimistic about long-term employment prospects than at any point in polling history.
- The average person believes there is a 22% chance of losing their job in the next five years.
- This level of concern is higher than during the 2007-09 global financial crisis.
- Artificial intelligence is cited as the cause of this widespread gloom.
- Nearly one in five American workers think AI or automation is likely to replace them.