In AI-exposed jobs, only the youngest workers are losing ground
Analysis of employment data shows that in jobs most exposed to AI, only the youngest workers (under 25) are experiencing significant job losses, while older workers in similar roles have maintained or grown their employment share.
Background
This analysis, by data scientist Randal Olson, examines how AI adoption is affecting different age groups in the workforce. The key finding: AI exposure is reducing wages for workers under 30, while older workers — particularly those over 40 — are seeing wage gains in the same AI-exposed jobs. Olson's work draws on large-scale U.S. labor data and contributes to the ongoing debate about whether AI will replace or augment human labor. The piece matters because it suggests the burden of AI disruption is falling most heavily on younger, less experienced workers, who may lack the complementary skills (e.g., domain expertise, management experience) that let older workers use AI as a productivity tool rather than a replacement threat. Olson previously attracted attention for a viral analysis debunking AI workforce panic.