IMF says AI could affect 40% of jobs and hinder young people’s entry
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that artificial intelligence could affect about 40% of jobs worldwide — and up to 60% in advanced economies — by increasing productivity in some roles, reducing the importance of others or eliminating positions. According to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, AI investment is helping sustain global growth, which the institution projects at 3.1% for 2026, and could raise growth in advanced Asian economies by up to 1 percentage point. She described the transformation of work as a “slow-motion tsunami.”
A preliminary study cited by Georgieva found that 10% of jobs in the United States already required AI knowledge, while openings in routine and repetitive roles are declining. According to Reuters, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam warned that automation could reduce demand for the first jobs taken by recent graduates, making it harder for young people to enter the labor market and build their careers.
Why it matters · editorial interpretation
The IMF estimates put young people’s entry into the labor market among the concrete effects to watch, especially as the story cites declining openings in routine roles. The issue also connects AI investment and growth with training and career-transition policies, without treating the impacts as uniform across countries and occupations.
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