Hong Kong Kowloon — us company is expected to rapidly increase Layoffs caused by AI However, some sources suggest that the feared mass job losses may be overstated. Report from fortune media.
Technology leaders paint a picture of impending white-collar disruption; Chief Financial Officer (CFO) The reality is more nuanced, they say, and suggests a complicated future for the jobs companies hire. Artificial intelligence (AI).
Layoffs are increasing, but far from “doomsday” levels
of working paper from National Economic Research Bureausurvey of 750 U.S. chief financial officers found that only 44% of companies plan to make AI-related job cuts in 2026.
In the wider economy, this equates to approximately 502,000 roles, or 0.4% of the total workforce, or about half in white-collar jobs. This represents a ninefold increase from the 55,000 AI-induced layoffs in 2025, but only a fraction of the total job losses.
“This is not the apocalyptic job scenario you sometimes see in the headlines.” said John Graham, co-author of the study and director of the Duke University CFO Study, conducted it in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank. atlanta and richmond.
This study highlights the gap between the promise of AI and its direct impact on productivity. While executives are optimistic about the potential of AI, employees report higher workloads, with some responsibilities taking up to 346% more time.
“Companies are making investments and are starting to make these great things happen, or want to do them in the near future,” Graham said. said.
“But it’s not really showing up in the bottom line yet,” Graham said. added.
Small businesses see opportunities in AI adoption
Larger companies may retain technical roles or cut positions, while smaller companies with fewer than 500 employees may Introduce AI And we plan to hire more technical talent.
“If anything, small businesses are hiring a little bit more on the technology side, which will offset that.” [losses] Just a little bit” Graham noticed.
Recent high-profile job cuts, including a reported 40% cut at Brock and a reported 20% cut at Meta, point to the growing role of AI in reshaping jobs, but economists warn that economy-wide productivity gains are yet to materialize.
This research brings out the Thoreau’s paradoxa decades-old observation that transformative technologies can seem ubiquitous without immediately measurable productivity improvements.
As AI continues to transform workflows, the future of work is likely to include both role replacement and role creation, especially in technical and hybrid jobs.
“Nobody knows what’s going to happen in 2028. I’m not predicting that in two, three or five years we’re not going to lose jobs to AI,” Graham said. saidHe emphasized the uncertainty of the future.
