A new survey of AP professionals across various industries is offering insight into their top challenges and how automation and AI are helping them navigate uncertainty and plan for the future. The study was commissioned by AvidXchange, a provider in accounts payable automation software and payment solutions for mid-market businesses and their suppliers, in partnership with the Institute of Finance and Management (IOFM).
Rising Uncertainty Fuels Skill Building and Career Growth
Amid growing concerns about job security, nearly half (45%) of AP professionals report concerns about potential layoffs in 2025, a steep jump from 27% in 2024. In response, many are proactively seeking ways to boost their productivity, strengthen their skills and expand their roles, allowing them to focus on higher level work that’s less easily replaced by AI.
- – 53% are taking on stretch assignments to boost their job security, up significantly from 34% last year.
- – 59% are actively learning new skills and technologies, including automation and AI.
Yet despite these efforts, only half of AP professionals say they have access to growth or skills development opportunities in their current roles, and just 40% believe they have a clear path to advance their careers.
This heightened sense of job insecurity also affects how they take time off. In 2024, 61% of AP professionals left more than a quarter of their PTO unused, with 27% citing concerns about job security or career progression.
These workforce concerns reflect broader market pressures. AvidXchange’s 2025 Economic Sentiment Survey found that 86% of finance professionals remain worried about the economy, and nearly one in two expect a recession within the next 12 months. Against this backdrop, AP professionals are doubling down on skill building and automation to increase their productivity, elevate their work, and secure their futures.
“Economic uncertainty is reshaping finance roles, and AP professionals are responding by stepping up. They’re taking on more responsibility, investing in new skills, and using automation to secure their careers and add more strategic value to their companies,” said Dan Drees, President of AvidXchange.
Automation and AI as Career Growth Engines
The report found strong optimism about the role automation can play in improving job performance and long-term career prospects:
- – 74% say access to tools and technology supports their career growth.
- – 69% believe automation would have an immediate positive impact on their current role.
- – 72% believe automation would positively influence their long-term career trajectory.
AI is also gaining traction as a way to enhance careers:
- – 58% believe AI would have an immediate positive impact on their role.
- – 57% believe AI would have a long-term positive impact on their career.
By reducing repetitive, manual tasks, automation is freeing AP teams to focus on strategic, higher-value work that contributes to organizational success.
Automation Supports Satisfaction and Retention
Automation is strongly linked to job satisfaction. Of the AP professionals who said they are “extremely satisfied” in their role, 59% work in largely to fully automated environments. In contrast, only 2% work in environments that are fully manual or paper-based.
Manual processes remain a top source of frustration for AP professionals, with the top three tasks AP professionals are eager to eliminate being:
- – Manual invoice approvals (46%)
- – Manual data entry (45%)
- – Exception handling (39%)
Flexible work options are also central to retention. Forty percent of AP professionals say flexible hours are essential, and automation is a critical enabler of that flexibility—allowing teams to work from anywhere without being tied to paper-based processes. In an uncertain economy, that flexibility is not just a perk, it’s a necessity.
Automation: From Efficiency to Workforce Stability
AP automation is more than just a process improvement—it’s a resilience strategy. As professionals face economic uncertainty, job insecurity, and pressure to do more with less, modern tools like automation and AI are becoming essential to maintaining both productivity and morale.
Organizations that embrace these technologies not only increase efficiency—they also cultivate a more empowered, future-ready workforce.
One AvidXchange customer illustrates the difference automation can make. “Since automating, we’ve significantly reduced the need for our AP staff to perform manual data entry, allowing the team to focus on higher-value tasks and enabling growth within the accounts payable function,” said AvidXchange customer, Tairie Santana Mendez, Property Accounting Specialist at Founders 3 Management Company.
To explore the full findings and learn how AP automation can help companies improve employee satisfaction, download the whitepaper: 2025 Accounts Payable Career Satisfaction Report.
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