Ai Is Making Some Americans Go Blue-collar
While a robot could never discreetly utilize the work printer for personal use, AI is threatening to automate other office tasks—and some are switching careers to get ahead of the threat.
As tech companies blame recent layoffs on AI, and many economists say knowledge work will become increasingly automated, a growing number of college students and recent grads are seeking to AI-proof their futures by pivoting away from automation-prone fields, like computer science and data analysis, and into...literal fields to work with their hands, where the robots are less likely to get them.
A recent Gallup survey found that 16% of college students have switched majors due to AI’s impact on the job market, while 47% have thought about doing so.
Go blue
Many workers and students are rolling up their sleeves to embrace the trades:
- About 25% of Gen Z is considering or is already pursuing a career in the trades instead of a white-collar job, according to a survey by SupplyHouse.
- Many are leaving office employment to train as electricians or firefighters, in-demand careers that are unlikely to be replaced by AI.
Career experts say that skilled tradespeople are a hot commodity due to the data-center-building blitz, which is creating a shortage of highly specialized technicians. Companies like BlackRock and Meta recently announced that they’re pouring tens of millions into training and recruiting pros like electricians and fiber-optic-cable techs for their data center buildouts.
But…overall blue-collar employment still shrank over the past year, and economists note that it pays less on average than jobs that require a college degree.—SK
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