Artificial intelligence is expected to create more jobs than it eliminates by 2030, with Gartner forecasting a net increase of 1.7 million jobs worldwide.
The findings, presented November 10 at Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo in Barcelona, suggest that AI will have a much greater impact on how people work than on the number of jobs available.
Despite the projected job gains, millions of workers will need to adapt to changing responsibilities and skill requirements as companies reconsider their hiring plans and how they use AI.
Why It Matters: Gartner’s forecast suggests that AI will have a greater impact on how organizations use their existing workforce than on the number of jobs eliminated. As automation changes employee responsibilities and reduces the need for some new hires, businesses will need to rethink how they allocate staff and turn productivity gains into measurable value.
- More Jobs Created Than Eliminated: Gartner expects AI to create 10.6 million jobs and eliminate 8.9 million by 2030, resulting in a net gain of 1.7 million positions. Direct AI-related job losses are projected to affect between 0.4% and 1.8% of workers worldwide. According to Gartner, organizations further along in AI adoption are using the technology to rethink operations and how employees work, instead of focusing solely on reducing headcount
- Existing Roles Will Change: Approximately 435.5 million employees, or just over 20% of the global workforce, will need to adapt to changes in their jobs by 2030. Gartner expects these changes to affect daily responsibilities, workflows and the division of work between employees and technology. For organizations introducing AI into existing business processes, this could mean updating job descriptions, training programs and expectations for employees working with AI systems.
- Hiring Plans Are Already Affected: In 2026, companies postponed the creation of approximately 1.3 million positions, while AI contributed to 2.2 million job losses and 1.6 million job gains. Gartner expects delayed hiring to affect 5 million people by 2030. The firm distinguishes between jobs eliminated by AI and positions that were never created, making delayed hiring another important factor in measuring AI’s impact on employment.
- Technology Workers Face High AI Exposure: Nearly 70% of technology workers hold roles with high exposure to AI, although Gartner still expects employment in the sector to increase. By 2030, the industry is projected to create 1.9 million jobs and eliminate 400,000, resulting in a net gain of 1.5 million positions. Direct AI-related job losses are expected to affect 1.8% of the technology workforce, making skills development and changing job responsibilities important considerations for IT departments.
- Industry Differences Matter: Asset-intensive industries, including manufacturing and infrastructure-related businesses, are expected to create 6.4 million jobs and lose 6 million by 2030. The public sector is projected to gain 400,000 jobs and lose 900,000, with Gartner warning that AI investments may not be enough to address future skills shortages. Direct AI-related job losses are expected to affect 0.4% of workers in each of these industry groups. Gartner cautions that workforce planning should account for differences in how industries operate and adopt AI.
Go Deeper -> Gartner Forecasts AI Will Drive a Net Increase of 1.7 Million Jobs by 2030 – Gartner
