New Delhi: Artificial intelligence is slowly reshaping the global job market, and the scale now looks massive. Goldman Sachs Research says around 300 million
jobs worldwide could be exposed to automation over the next decade. The shift is already visible in sectors like tech, content, and customer support.
The job market in India and globally is facing a huge shift. We are already seeing the heat in the telecom and knowledge sectors. Graphic designers and call center workers know this reality well.
Share of occupation employment exposed to automation by AI in the US | Source Goldman Sachs
AI impact on jobs is already visible
Goldman Sachs Research says the early signs are already here. Joseph Briggs from the global economics team said, “You can see AI’s impact in the tech sector, where the employment share as a proportion of the whole economy has gone below the long term trend.”
The report notes that workers in knowledge and creative roles are seeing early impact, including call centre workers, graphic designers, and consultants. Right now, the changes are still small compared to the overall job market, but the direction is becoming clearer.
What could happen over the next 10 years
The transition to AI adoption may take around a decade. Briggs said 6 to 7 percent of workers could be displaced during this period.
He explained, “If it takes place over a decade, Goldman Sachs Research expects to see a 0.6 percentage point increase in the unemployment rate.” He added that if the shift happens faster, the economic impact could be much larger.
In the US alone, AI could automate tasks that account for 25 percent of total work hours.
New jobs are coming, but not the same ones
There is another side to this story. AI is expected to create new roles, especially in infrastructure and technical fields. Demand is rising for engineers, electricians, and construction workers building data centres.
Around 5 lakh new jobs may be needed in the US by 2030 to support growing power demand. Construction jobs linked to data centres have already increased by over 2.16 lakh since 2022.
Why 2026 could be a turning point
Briggs said, “The big story in 2026 in labor will be AI.” He added that job losses could happen earlier than expected, which may affect economic growth forecasts.
Younger workers entering tech and content jobs may feel the biggest impact first. Still, Briggs added, “There’s a lot of uncertainty about how this will play out. It’s important to watch the labor market data in real time to monitor that.”
