Workers Are Scared About AI Agents Taking Their Jobs

Employees all over the world are worried about artificial intelligence agents and how they might affect their jobs. More than two in three workers say they are concerned about negative impacts from AI and automation, including job loss. Even worse, more than one in four employees have little or no trust in their employers' ability to handle AI fairly and responsibly. This worry is not just in people's heads—it is based on real things happening in companies right now.

Many Job Cuts Are Blamed on AI

In the United States, companies have announced a shocking number of job cuts that they say are because of AI. In 2025 alone, companies directly blamed AI for 55,000 job losses, which is more than 12 times the number of AI-related layoffs just two years before. Most of these job cuts happened in technology companies, and many were in states like California and Washington. Big companies like Amazon, Pinterest, HP, Salesforce, and Chegg have all announced they are cutting workers because they are using AI agents to do the same work faster and cheaper.

Different Jobs Are at Different Levels of Risk

Not all jobs are at the same risk from AI agents. Customer service workers and people who do data entry are in the most danger right now, with up to 80% of customer service jobs potentially being automated. Retail cashiers and bank tellers also face high risk, while construction workers, doctors, and teachers are much safer for now. In the United States, researchers say that 30% of all jobs could be partially automated by 2030, though the exact number could be between 6% and 14% depending on how fast companies actually use AI.

Young Workers Are Hit the Hardest

The workers having the hardest time are young people looking for their first jobs. Over 38% of companies have already reduced entry-level positions because of AI. Unemployment for young tech workers aged 20-30 jumped almost 3% in the first nine months of 2025, which is much higher than in other industries. Big tech companies cut their new graduate hiring by 25% between 2023 and 2024. This means that college graduates and recent job hunters are finding it much harder to get their first job in many fields.

Some Companies Might Be Using AI as an Excuse

However, not all job cuts might really be because of AI. Some economists think that companies are using AI as an excuse for layoffs that are really happening for other reasons. These experts point out that companies are having trouble admitting they hired too many workers or that their business is not doing well. Still, other companies are genuinely planning to use AI agents to replace workers or do their jobs differently.

The Future Might Bring New Jobs

There is some hope, though. Researchers expect that while AI agents might eliminate some jobs, they will also create new types of jobs that we do not have today. Some companies will need people to build, fix, and manage AI agents. Other completely new jobs might be created in fields we cannot even predict yet. Worldwide, researchers expect that while 85-92 million jobs might be displaced by 2030, approximately 97-170 million new jobs could be created over the same time period.

Workers Want Better Communication

One of the biggest problems workers are facing is that companies are not communicating well about how AI will change their jobs. More than one in five workers do not feel confident that their employers are helping them prepare for AI changes. Workers want their leaders to talk more honestly about what is happening and to help them learn new skills for jobs that will exist in the future. Some companies might need to rehire workers soon anyway—researchers predict that half of companies that cut jobs because of AI will hire them back by 2027 to do similar work in new ways.