A recent study by consulting firm Mercer has revealed that an unprecedented 99% of CEOs envision AI-driven layoffs in the short term. The survey, which covered 12,000 C-suite executives, HR leaders, employees, and investors, showed that an overwhelming majority of executives expect AI "to lead to at least some headcount reduction in the next two years." At the same time, work and economic anxiety are increasing among employees, while workplace well-being has plummeted, with the portion of workers reporting that they "feel good at work" dropping from 66% in 2024 to just 44%.
The report also revealed that young professionals, aged 22 to 27, face the highest risk of job displacement as CEOs target simple tasks that typically served to train new hires. Because generative AI excels at codifiable, routine entry-level tasks, companies are slowing down traditional junior hiring pipelines. Standard Chartered recently announced plans to cut 7,000 jobs to replace ‘lower-value human capital’ and focus on automation.
