Artificial intelligence adoption is progressing faster across major developed economies, where usage rates have reached around 15–20 per cent, according to Goldman Sachs Research. France, the US, the Netherlands and the UK are among the countries at the upper end of this range.
By comparison, major emerging markets have recorded AI adoption rates of approximately 10–15 per cent, indicating a slower pace of deployment than in developed economies.
The wider use of AI has coincided with weaker hiring activity in industries that are more exposed to automation. The slowdown became visible from the second half of 2022, with Germany, Australia and the US showing some of the strongest effects.
Technology and Call Centre Jobs Face Greater Pressure
Goldman Sachs Research found that employment growth has weakened in several sectors with significant exposure to AI and automation. Information and communication services, software publishing, call centres and advertising have all experienced slower employment growth.
In the US, employment in information and communication services has fallen below its long-term trend. In several other developed economies, however, employment in the sector has remained close to or above historical levels.
The report said the hiring pressure affecting the broader technology sector appears across multiple countries, although the negative effects have been particularly evident in the US.
Call centre employment has experienced a sharper decline in several markets. In the US, employment in the sector was 39 per cent below its trend, while the gap stood at 33 per cent in Canada and 27 per cent in Germany.
According to the research, these developments are consistent with growing use of labour-automating technologies in industries where such tools are already available.
Overall Impact on Employment Remains Limited
Despite the changes seen in specific industries, the report found that AI has so far had a relatively limited impact on employment across the broader economy.
Goldman Sachs Research examined occupational exposure to AI across more than 800 occupations. Its analysis showed that a 10 per cent level of occupational exposure was associated with only a 0.1 percentage-point reduction in annual headcount growth across the US, France and Canada.
The findings therefore indicate that economy-wide hiring pressures remain limited, even though certain industries and categories of workers are experiencing more visible changes.
Entry-Level Workers Among More Exposed Groups
The report also highlighted greater challenges for workers in entry-level positions as companies increasingly introduce automated solutions into their operations.
Goldman Sachs Research said AI-related hiring pressures can already be observed in both official and unofficial employment data. However, the effects remain concentrated among a relatively narrow group of industries and workers rather than being spread evenly across the entire labour market.
The findings suggest that while AI adoption is changing hiring patterns in highly exposed sectors, its broader impact on employment remains comparatively limited at the economy-wide level.
Disclaimer
This article is provided for general informational purposes based on the findings cited from Goldman Sachs Research. The information should not be treated as financial, employment or investment advice. Readers should refer to the original research and assess information independently before making decisions based on these developments.