Goldman Sachs

Is AI Impacting Global Labor Markets?

Original Published: September 3, 2026

🎯 Sentiment Impact: Concerning

📋 Summary

  • Goldman Sachs Research finds AI adoption among major developed economies ranges from 15%-20%, with France, the US, the Netherlands, and the UK at the top; emerging markets trail at 10%-15%.
  • Employment in AI-exposed industries—information/communication services, call centers, software publishing, and advertising—has slowed sharply, with US call center employment now 39% below trend, Canada 33% below, and Germany 27% below.
  • A 10% increase in occupational AI exposure is linked to only a 0.1 percentage point drag on annual headcount growth in France, Canada, and the US, but junior/entry-level workers face notably stronger hiring headwinds than experienced peers.

💡 JR Insights

  • 💼 Implications: The economy-wide impact of AI on hiring remains limited so far, but the effect is concentrated and severe in specific white-collar service industries and among younger workers entering the labor market.
  • 🚨 Risks: Call center and software publishing roles face outsized exposure, and the growing entry-level penalty could compound over time as fewer young workers gain the experience needed for career progression.
  • ✨ Advice: Early-career professionals in AI-exposed roles (call centers, junior software, advertising) should proactively build differentiated skills or move toward less automatable specializations to avoid the sharpest hiring headwinds.

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