{
  "id": 8239938,
  "title": "Most of the world expects AI to shrink the job market, with Americans among the most pessimistic",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/most-of-the-world-expects-ai-to-shrink-the-job-market-with-americans",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-18T12:12:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "TechSpot",
    "slug": "techspot",
    "url": "https://www.techspot.com/news/113898-most-world-expects-ai-shrink-job-market-americans.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent global poll conducted by the Pew Research Center reveals that most people around the world anticipate artificial intelligence (AI) will result in fewer job opportunities rather than more. This outlook is consistent across 34 out of 37 surveyed countries. The United States ranks third in pessimism, with 71% of participants believing AI will lead to fewer jobs over the next 20 years, only trailing South Korea and Australia, both at 76%. Globally, 46% of respondents foresee a decrease in jobs, 13% predict no significant change, 9% expect an increase, and 25% remain uncertain. The disparity in expectations between nations with varying GDP levels is stark, with the percentage of those anticipating job losses being significantly lower in poorer countries. For instance, Nigeria is the sole country where respondents believe AI will create more jobs, with 26% of the population, compared to 27% across other countries. In wealthier regions, there are concerns that AI might predominantly impact white-collar jobs. Notably, the share of people who believe AI will lead to job losses in the US has risen by 7 percentage points over the past two years, indicating that these fears are growing. Younger individuals aged between 18 and 34 are particularly concerned about job losses from AI in several countries, and higher-income, more educated respondents in middle-income nations are also more likely to expect AI to reduce job numbers. Despite some industry leaders claiming AI could bridge the gap between the rich and poor, the majority of respondents believe otherwise, with this sentiment being more prevalent in wealthier countries. Public opinion on AI's impact on jobs is mixed, with a median of 37% more concerned than excited, and 41% equally concerned and excited. Interestingly, Israel stands out as the only nation where more people are primarily excited than concerned about AI's job implications. These fears are understandable, given that a Mercer survey found 99% of executives expect AI to result in job cuts within two years, while Meta recently cut 10% of its workforce amid disappointing AI results and employee resistance. Some companies are rehiring workers they replaced with AI after automation failed to deliver, providing a glimmer of hope, although it's unlikely to reassure all workers.",
  "summary": "The US was the third most pessimistic nation when it comes to AI's effect on the workplace, with 71% of participants saying it will lead to fewer jobs in the country over the next 20 years. Only South Korea and Australia, both on 76%, were higher. Read Entire Article",
  "key_points": [
    "71% of Americans believe AI will lead to fewer jobs in the next 20 years.",
    "Only 9% of global respondents expect AI to increase job opportunities.",
    "Pessimism about AI's impact on jobs has grown by 7 percentage points in the US over two years."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}