Americans are getting more uneasy about the job market’s future. A new Gallup poll found 27% of US workers worry technology will render their jobs obsolete, the highest level in the survey.
The anxiety is sharper among younger workers. Some 34% of those ages 18 to 44 said they worry about technology-related job displacement, making it the No. 1 job concern among Americans under 45. Rising shares of both college graduates and non-college workers also say they are concerned.
By contrast, worries about benefit reductions, layoffs, and lower wages and shorter hours have held steady compared with previous years.
Driving the news: there have been some attempts in Washington to address AI-fueled disruption in the labor market, but policymakers have not united around a single solution. At the same time, some evidence suggests AI could create new jobs overall.
Why it matters: for workers, the promise of innovation comes with a very real fear of replacement. The big picture is that Washington is already behind the curve — talking about disruption while the market and the technology keep moving.