Archive · 21 Sep 2026
AI Exposed Jobs Gain Pay as Layoffs Continue Rising
Some jobs that use artificial intelligence are paying workers more.
This is because companies want people who can operate AI tools and solve difficult problems.
Pay in highly AI-exposed jobs rose faster than pay in jobs with little AI exposure between 2021 and 2026.
However, AI is also connected to many layoffs.
US employers said AI was involved in more than 116,000 announced job cuts through August 2026.
Senior workers have generally gained more from the pay increase than entry-level workers.
Companies may need fewer beginners when AI can do routine work.
Experts say AI will probably change many jobs rather than remove every job completely.
Average pay for highly AI-exposed US jobs rose 46% from 2021 to 2026, compared with 41% for moderately exposed jobs and 25% for least-exposed roles.
Indeed found that AI-exposed jobs carried a 5.7% advertised-pay premium after ChatGPT, narrowing to 2.4% after accounting for seniority.
Employers cited AI in 116,175 announced US job cuts through August 2026, or about 22% of all announced cuts.
Senior and specialized workers are benefiting most, while entry-level employees face pressure as AI handles more routine tasks.
The International Labour Organization says AI is more likely to transform many jobs than eliminate them, while warning of inequality and reduced opportunities for younger workers.
- Who
- US workers and employers, particularly in software, IT, data, marketing, banking and finance, and less-exposed occupations.
- What
- AI-exposed jobs have recorded faster pay growth even as employers increasingly cite AI in layoff announcements.
- When
- The divergence became especially visible from 2024 through 2026; the cited layoff figures run through August 2026.
- Where
- The main pay and layoff data concern the United States, while the International Labour Organization's exposure estimate is global.
- Why
- Employers are competing for workers with AI-related skills, while using AI alongside restructuring, cost reduction and workflow changes to reduce or reorganize some roles.
AI Creates Premiums and Productivity
AI Drives Layoffs and Inequality
Effect on employment
AI Creates Premiums and Productivity
AI can automate repetitive tasks while increasing demand for workers who supervise systems, integrate them into workflows and handle complex problems.
AI Drives Layoffs and Inequality
Employers have cited AI in more than 170,000 announced cuts since 2023, and companies may need fewer workers for some tasks.
Impact on workers
AI Creates Premiums and Productivity
Senior and specialized workers are receiving the largest pay gains, and software-development postings have rebounded strongly.
AI Drives Layoffs and Inequality
Entry-level workers may lose opportunities as AI takes over routine work traditionally assigned to junior employees.
Meaning of AI exposure
AI Creates Premiums and Productivity
Exposure can make a job more valuable because workers use AI to amplify their productivity; it does not automatically predict job loss.
AI Drives Layoffs and Inequality
Even when AI is not the sole cause, its use alongside restructuring and cost reduction can contribute to workforce reductions and greater inequality.
- Pay growth, 2021–2026
- Average pay indexed at 146 for highly AI-exposed jobs, 141 for moderately exposed jobs and 125 for least-exposed jobs.
- Post-ChatGPT pay premium
- AI-exposed jobs had a 5.7% advertised-pay premium; it was 4.7% when comparing job titles with their historical pay and 2.4% after further seniority controls.
- AI-linked cuts through August 2026
- Employers announced 116,175 US job cuts citing AI, about 22% of all announced cuts.
- AI-linked cuts in 2025
- Challenger, Gray & Christmas recorded 54,836 announced AI-related layoff plans.
- Software-development postings
- Senior roles accounted for 71% of the increase in software-development postings between May 2025 and May 2026; 37% came from postings explicitly mentioning AI in their titles.
- Global AI exposure
- The International Labour Organization estimates roughly one in four workers globally are in occupations with some generative-AI exposure.
- World Economic Forum projection
- Broader technological and structural changes are projected to create 170 million jobs and displace 92 million by 2030, for a net increase of 78 million.