US finance chiefs plan 502,000 AI job cuts next year
A survey of 750 US finance executives shows 44 percent plan to cut 502,000 jobs next year because of AI. That total is nine times higher than the 55,000 cuts in 2025 and equals 0.4 percent of the workforce. Half the roles are white-collar office jobs. Small companies plan to hire more technical staff to offset losses at big firms. Unemployment stands at 4.4 percent after 92000 job losses last month alone. Productivity gains from AI have not yet shown up in the economy.
Last year AI fears led to just 55000 cuts, a tiny fraction dismissed as hype by optimists. White-collar work seemed safe as firms experimented without broad impact. Now cuts balloon to half a million, half in offices, as executives chase productivity despite no economy-wide gains yet. Small firms hiring technical talent create a narrow path for entry-level workers who can demonstrate AI skills like prompt engineering.
Analysis
Open LinkedIn, filter for jobs at companies with under 500 employees using keywords like 'AI prompt' or 'no-code AI', and apply your portfolio to the top three.
Citation
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