Global Scans · Work · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: AI will replace 16% of jobs over the next decade. A billion people will enter the job market over the next ten years.

• [New] The multi-year collaboration, which will provide students, faculty and researchers with Google Cloud's AI-optimized tech stack and high-performance computing power, is designed to advance AI-enabled education, accelerate AI innovation and expand AI workforce development. Campus Technology
• [New] As AI continues to evolve, tools like the Remote Labour Index will be essential for distinguishing between genuine progress and media hype, ensuring that the discussion about the future of work is based on evidence rather than assumptions. Sada News Agency
• [New] As AI reshapes New York's economy, city leaders will need to prepare more young New Yorkers for an AI-powered workforce. Center for an Urban Future (CUF)
• [New] Building Future Ready HR Teams For the AI Age Gartner AI is expected to automate many HR tasks, with 60% of HR work predicted to be completed by intelligent agents by 2030, pushing HR roles to evolve. The ILR School
• [New] Employment growth in 2026 is projected at 0.5% in upper middle-income economies, 1.8% in lower middle-income economies, and 3.1% in low-income countries. Human Resources Online
• [New] Informality is on the rise, with 2.1bn workers expected to be in informal employment by 2026. Human Resources Online
• [New] Global unemployment is projected to remain stable at 4.9% in 2026, equivalent to about 186 mn people. Human Resources Online
• [New] A yearlong interruption at the main suppliers of battery parts could cost as many as 90,000 UK jobs and wipe out production of more than 580,000 electric vehicles from 2030. Bloomberg
• [New] Long phone queues, repeated form-filling, and endless paperwork will be cut out as technology is put to work to transform public services, modernise government, and accelerate national renewal across the UK. GOV.UK
• [New] By 2026, cloud computing and AI will work closely together to power smart devices. TechBullion
• [New] Compounding affordability concerns, 2026 could see new AI labour disruptions leaving many without jobs. Morgan Stanley Investment Management
• [New] AI could eliminate half of entry-level white-collar jobs and push unemployment to 10-20% within five years. Forbes
• [New] Imagine AI moving from tools into autonomous systems, something OpenAI has described as the final stage of AI: Organizations that can do the work of an entire organization, not just a task. Forbes
• [New] A number of large U.S. companies have cited AI-fueled efficiencies as a rationale for layoffs, with many others signaling that AI will reduce or transform their workforce in the coming years. O'Dwyers PR
• [New] As workforce expectations rise and business risks intensify, HR leaders must act on five forces shaping 2026 - from AI and skills to healthcare costs, analytics, pay transparency and retirement readiness. Aon
• [New] Aon research finds that across all generations, workers are confident their employers will invest in their skills development for the future of work: 86% of Millennials agree, 83% of Baby Boomers and 78% of Gen X. Aon
• [New] In 2026, warehousing and freight operations operate in a rapidly evolving landscape, shaped by rising customer expectations, labour shortages, fluctuating costs, and global supply chain disruptions. ULS FREIGHT
• [New] Yahoo's effort to make it easier to work with could just as easily make it easier to leave - and, in the process, amplify Amazon's gravitational pull. Digiday
• [New] Between 2024 and 2034 there will be a shortage of roughly 81,000 electricians on average each year in the US, measured in terms of unfilled jobs. Wired
• [New] Millennials and Gen Zers will account for 75% of the workforce by 2030, and their expectations differ sharply from prior generations. Skift Meetings
• [New] One of the five areas of focus for 2026's event is investing in people: developing a resilient workforce that can adapt to the rapidly changing economic landscape, particularly in light of ongoing disruption from AI. / Switzerland Forbes
• [New] AI could unlock up to 4.5 trillion dollars in additional U.S. labour productivity annually if broadly adopted. Solutions Review Technology News and Vendor Reviews
• [New] AI is set to reshape roughly 44% of banking work by 2030, according to consulting firm ThoughtLinks - and Wall Street's biggest firms are racing to get there first. Business Insider

Last updated: 19 January 2026