Hey everyone, I just came across this fascinating Fortune article from yesterday (December 27, 2025) that flips the usual narrative about AI taking over jobs. You know the doom-and-gloom stories—we've all heard them: AI is coming for your career, especially if you're in tech-heavy or administrative roles. But new research from Vanguard suggests the opposite is happening right now.
The Big Reveal
According to Vanguard's latest economic outlook report, the roughly 100 occupations most exposed to AI automation aren't shrinking—they're *outperforming* the rest of the job market in both job growth and wage increases.
Here's the breakdown:
- **Job growth**: For high-AI-exposure roles, it jumped from 1% annually (2015–2019) to 1.7% post-2023. Meanwhile, all other jobs slowed from 1.1% to just 0.8%.
- **Real wage growth**: These AI-exposed jobs went from a sluggish 0.1% pre-COVID to a robust 3.8% in recent years. The rest of the market? Stuck around 0.5–0.7%.
Vanguard's take: “This suggests that current AI systems are generally enhancing worker productivity and shifting workers’ tasks toward higher-value activities.” In other words, AI isn't replacing people—it's making them more valuable.
Why This Makes Sense
The researchers compare AI to historical game-changers like electricity, railroads, or the internet. These megatrends didn't destroy jobs overnight; they reshaped the economy, boosted productivity, and required big investments to adapt. AI seems to be following the same path—tooling up the workforce for higher-impact work.
Examples of high-exposure jobs mentioned: office clerks, HR assistants, and even data scientists. These roles are seeing the benefits firsthand.
But What About the Kids (Gen Z)?
There's a caveat for younger workers. Entry-level hiring has tanked across the board—U.S. job postings are down 32% since ChatGPT exploded in 2022. In AI-exposed fields, postings for 22–25-year-olds dropped 13%. Tech companies have slashed Gen Z headcounts from 15% of the workforce in early 2023 to just 6.8% by mid-2025.
Vanguard pushes back on blaming AI directly, though. They point out that today's AI models still struggle with nuanced, real-world decision-making. The real culprits for youth unemployment? Broader economic slowdowns, post-pandemic overhiring corrections, and low overall hiring rates that hit new entrants hardest.
My Takeaway
This is a refreshing counterpoint to the AI apocalypse talk. Short-term, AI looks like a productivity booster that's lifting wages and growth in the very jobs it's supposed to disrupt. Long-term? Structural shifts are coming, and we'll need smart investments to navigate them.
If you're in one of these "at-risk" fields, this might be good news—you're positioned for growth. For everyone else, it's a reminder that tech revolutions tend to create more than they destroy... eventually.
What do you think—relieved or still skeptical about AI's job impact? Drop your thoughts below! 🚀