AI Has Created About 1 Million U.S. Jobs, Economist Estimates

The Economist estimates that artificial intelligence has created about 1 million new jobs in the United States so far, far more than the roughly 200,000 jobs cut since mid-2023 because of AI. According to ChainCatcher, the estimate is based in part on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on September 4, which showed the U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%. The gap between unemployment among people aged 20 to 24 and the overall unemployment rate is now near its lowest level in decades. Job growth has been driven mainly by high-skilled roles that directly serve AI and by blue-collar hiring tied to data center construction. Since 2022, jobs for engineers, software developers, mathematicians and data scientists have risen by about 730,000 above trend. Burning Glass Institute Chief Economist said about 1% of professional jobs in the U.S. can currently be classified as AI jobs, rising to 4% to 5% in computer and life sciences fields. Data center construction spending has increased 60% over the past year, boosting demand for electricians and HVAC technicians. Indeed data showed that salaries for data center installation and maintenance jobs are about 40% higher than comparable work. Customer service jobs have fallen about 10% since January 2023, while administrative assistant roles have declined about 15%. Microsoft and Meta have reduced staff as they reorganize around AI, while Block and Intuit have replaced some human labor with automation tools. U.S. companies are announcing about 16,000 AI-related layoffs per month on average. Economist Noah Smith said it is currently difficult to identify occupations eliminated by AI in labor data.