LinkedIn’s top legal and policy executive has stated that the company’s data does not currently support the idea that artificial intelligence (AI) is causing a continuous decrease in hiring. However, he cautioned that the situation could evolve significantly by the end of the decade.
During the Semafor World Economy Summit, Blake Lawit, LinkedIn’s chief global affairs and legal officer, verified that the company’s data indicates a roughly 20% reduction in hiring since 2022. Lawit attributed this decline more to the increase in interest rates rather than to AI displacing jobs.
Lawit explained that LinkedIn’s economic graph, which encompasses over a billion members and includes data on companies, jobs, and skills, has not revealed the anticipated job impacts in AI-exposed sectors like customer support, administrative work, and marketing that one would expect if AI were substantially displacing workers.
Moreover, he highlighted that hiring among college-aged individuals entering the workforce for the first time had not dropped more drastically compared to individuals in mid or late-career stages. This insight contradicts worries about AI disproportionately affecting entry-level positions.
Despite these observations, Lawit refrained from dismissing the long-term risks. He pointed out that in recent years, the skills necessary for the average job have already transformed by 25%. Lawit projected that AI could elevate this figure to 70% by 2030, implying that even if job security remains intact, workers might witness significant changes in their roles.