AI-exposed sectors see sharp drop in youth employment: BOK report

Youth employment in sectors heavily influenced by artificial intelligence (AI) has declined significantly since the introduction of generative AI chatbots, according to a report from the Bank of Korea (BOK). Over four years, from June 2022 to June 2026, the number of jobs held by individuals aged 15 to 29 dropped by 285,000. Of this decline, 268,000 jobs, or 94 percent, were in AI-exposed sectors such as IT services, publishing, computer programming, and professional services.

Conversely, employment among 50-year-olds increased by 230,000, with 173,000 of these jobs coming from AI-exposed fields. The study began in 2022, the year ChatGPT was launched. In specific sectors, youth employment fell by 31.4 percent in IT services, 27.4 percent in publishing, 16.6 percent in computer programming, and 11.6 percent in professional services.

The report also highlights the vulnerability of young people to AI technology, showing that unemployment rates among young people with higher education degrees were higher than those with less education. Despite AI potentially boosting productivity and increasing job opportunities for young people, it has also accelerated the trend of diminishing career prospects for the younger generation.