American workers are increasingly uncertain about AI and its impact on job security heading into 2026. According to the 2026 AI & Job Security Outlook Report from AI resume builder Resume Now, half of workers (51%) say they feel some level of concern about AI or automation affecting their job, and 60% expect AI to eliminate more jobs than it creates in the year ahead.
While many have not yet experienced AI-related disruption directly, 1 in 5 workers report knowing someone who has lost a job to AI in the past year, signaling that the technology’s influence on employment is becoming more visible.
Recommended Articles
Key Findings
- 60% of workers believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates in the year ahead, showing strong expectations of net job loss across industries.
- 51% of workers are worried about losing their job to AI in 2026, including 10% who are extremely worried, indicating rising anxiety across all levels of the workforce.
- 67% think AI will eventually threaten their job, with 1 in 10 saying the threat is already happening and another 15% expecting impact within the next 1–2 years.
- 46% expect job reductions in their industry by the end of 2026, while only 4% believe AI will create more roles than it eliminates.
- 1 in 5 workers know someone personally who lost a job to AI in the past year, suggesting early signs of displacement are becoming more visible.
Rising Anxiety Over AI and Job Security
- More than half of workers (51%) admit they are worried about losing their job to AI or automation in 2026, including those who are extremely, moderately, or slightly concerned.
- Nearly 1 in 5 workers (19%) say they are moderately worried about AI threatening their role.
- 10% are extremely worried, already experiencing high levels of AI-related job insecurity.
- While 49% say they are not worried, the data shows that a majority remain uneasy about how AI may impact their job stability in the year ahead.
Workers See AI Job Threats Coming — Many Sooner Than Expected
- A third of workers (33%) believe AI will never directly threaten their job, but the remaining 67% see some level of risk on the horizon.
- 1 in 10 workers (10%) say the threat is already happening, with AI beginning to encroach on their responsibilities.
- 15% expect their job to be threatened within the next 1–2 years, showing short-term concern.
- An additional 21% believe AI will threaten their job within 3–5 years, indicating longer-term but still significant vulnerability.
- 22% expect the threat to arrive in five years or later, reflecting uncertainty about future automation.
Workers Expect AI to Reduce Jobs in Their Industry by 2026
- Nearly half of workers (46%) expect moderate job reductions in their industry by the end of 2026, reflecting widespread concerns about AI-driven cuts.
- 12% anticipate large-scale job losses, signaling a notable segment bracing for major disruption.
- 38% expect no major change, suggesting uncertainty about how quickly AI will reshape their field.
- Only 4% believe AI will create more jobs than it eliminates, showing very limited optimism about net job growth.
Most Workers Expect AI to Eliminate More Jobs Than It Creates in the Year Ahead
- 60% of workers believe AI will eliminate more jobs than it creates over the next year, underscoring widespread expectation of net job loss.
- Only 12% think AI will create more jobs, indicating very limited optimism about near-term opportunities.
- 28% expect a balanced impact, with job creation and job loss offsetting each other.
Workers See a Real Possibility of AI Replacing Their Role by 2030
- Nearly half of workers (46%) believe their job could be replaced by AI by 2030, including those who say it is very likely or somewhat likely.
- 16% say replacement is very likely, indicating serious concern about long-term job security.
- 30% say it is somewhat likely, reflecting widespread uncertainty about the future of their role.
- 38% consider replacement unlikely, but not impossible.
- Only 16% believe AI could never replace what they do, the smallest and least confident group.
Workers Are Already Seeing AI-Driven Job Loss in Their Circles
- 1 in 5 workers personally know someone who has lost a job to AI in the past year, including 13% who know multiple people.
- 8% know at least one person who has been displaced, showing that AI-related job loss is becoming more visible.
- 78% say they do not know anyone affected, but the growing number of direct connections suggests early signs of acceleration.
Pessimism About AI’s Career Impact
- More than half of workers (54%) feel pessimistic about how AI will affect their career over the next three years, including those who expect challenges or outright job replacement.
- 42% are somewhat pessimistic, anticipating that AI could create obstacles for their role.
- 12% are very pessimistic, believing AI will replace or diminish their job entirely.
“Workers are bracing themselves for a year of disruption,” said Keith Spencer, career expert at Resume Now. “Our data shows that fear is rising faster than actual job loss, but that gap is closing. People are watching AI move from an abstract concept to something affecting real colleagues and real roles, and they’re understandably anxious about what comes next.”
To view the full 2026 AI & Job Security Outlook Report, please visit https://www.resume-now.com/job-resources/careers/ai-job-security-outlook.
Thanks for reading CPA Practice Advisor!
Subscribe Already registered? Log In
Need more information? Read the FAQs
Tags: Artificial Intelligence, artificial intelligence and accounting, artificial intelligence and accounting firms, artificial intelligence and business expenses, artificial intelligence and compliance, artificial intelligence and job cuts, artificial intelligence and jobs, artificial intelligence and unemployment, Payroll
