Artificial Intelligence has spooked the job market. For the last few years, the prediction has been one of gloom and doom. The numbers have been telling too — over 2,65,000 jobs have been affected globally since 2025, with 1,65,000 jobs impacted this year to date. The AI Layoffs Tracker pegs tech job cuts at 1,00,000 and counting. Closer home, since 2022, 31,921 job cuts have been directly linked to AI, according to a Nomura Holdings report. But there are finally some early, yet definitive, trends emerging on AI disruption to hiring, sacking and the larger job market.
Will AI come for your job? It most definitely will, provided you refuse to work with it. This is what we are hearing time and time again — use AI to your advantage; let it enhance your work, not remove you from it. As per the same Nomura Holdings report, AI is creating far more jobs than it is killing. So, while 31,921 people indeed lost their jobs, 83,100 AI-related jobs were also generated. Analysts believe that India is ground zero due to its back-office capabilities and will, therefore, throw up insights into the real AI impact quickly and transparently. It’s a tough market for freshers, as experience is trumping rookie talent.
Across Asia, the numbers are hinting at a similar trend — 60,654 jobs lost but 1,30,758 hires related to AI, with 90 per cent of new jobs related to tech and 60 per cent of job losses linked to financial services. Jobs requiring human engagement, such as construction, education, direct healthcare and manufacturing, are witnessing the least automation. India, China and the Philippines are showing similar initial findings. A Bank of Korea report showed that 2,11,000 entry-level jobs vanished, while employment increased by 2,09,000 jobs for 50-year-olds. While assuming any of it to be set in stone in today’s vastly dynamic and fragmented environment would be foolish, here’s what we can confidently say — every disruption will separate the wheat from the chaff. What’s redundant will eventually be on its way out — an upheaval like the one caused by AI is doing the same, only at a faster pace.
Companies are also becoming more mindful of whom they are hiring. A recent news story by Reuters said that global companies are becoming more selective with their GCC (global capability centres) hiring. It’s not that they won’t hire; they are more intentional about whom they employ. They want the “right talent” with the correct mix of tech know-how, experience and adaptability. The hiring trends across GCCs in India once again hold valuable information that can shape future predictions for the job market. And why not? India is set to have 2,117 GCCs by the end of this financial year. As per a NASSCOM-Zinnov report, these GCCs are set to create 2.36 million jobs and generate a whopping USD 100 billion in revenue. The quest for the right fit has slowed hiring, and even though jobs exist, newbies will find it difficult to land them. A NASSCOM-Indeed study holds some actionable takeaways — 40 per cent of employers are looking for proven AI skills or certifications over degrees, while 32 per cent give importance to all of them.
Look, any kind of structural shift is bound to upend lives. Instead of blaming AI and creating an apocalyptic atmosphere, we humans can make a difference. Yes, jobs will be lost, but more will be created. The gap that exists now is one of skills. Corporations, educational institutions and governments can bridge that gap to ensure that graduates are trained to be job-ready in today’s world. China is already doing that and showcasing a strong demand for highly skilled graduates. Remember, it’s not the atom bomb that was to blame for causing devastation; it was the human hand that triggered it.
Views expressed are personal