One in Four Jobs Globally Threatened by AI, UN Report Warns

News Desk

United Nations: A new United Nations report reveals that one in four jobs worldwide faces potential transformation due to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), with women and clerical workers identified as the most vulnerable groups. The findings, published jointly by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Poland’s National Research Institute, call for inclusive policy responses to address the challenges ahead.

Generative AI refers to systems capable of producing text, images, code, or data summaries in response to user prompts. As these technologies become widespread, they are expected to significantly reshape daily job tasks rather than causing large-scale job losses.

Drawing on nearly 30,000 real-world job descriptions, worker surveys, expert assessments, and AI models, the study highlights that full automation of jobs remains rare with current AI capabilities. Instead, most roles will undergo significant task transformation.

The report reveals a striking gender disparity: in high-income countries, nearly 10 percent of women’s jobs are highly exposed to AI-driven automation—almost three times the proportion for men.

Globally, 4.7 percent of women’s jobs fall into this high-risk category, compared to 2.4 percent for men. This is largely attributed to women’s overrepresentation in clerical and administrative roles, which often include tasks like data entry, document formatting, and scheduling—functions already susceptible to AI automation.

While such jobs are unlikely to disappear entirely, partial automation could degrade job quality, reducing responsibilities, stagnating wages, and increasing job insecurity. The report warns that without targeted training or redesign of roles, workers especially women may face limited opportunities to adapt.

Regional differences are also pronounced. In high-income countries, 34 percent of jobs are exposed to GenAI, while only 11 percent are exposed in low-income countries. Middle-income regions such as Latin America and parts of Asia fall in between.

Europe and Central Asia show the highest gender gaps due to high female employment in clerical jobs and broad digital adoption. Regions like sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Arab States currently face lower exposure but risk significant disruption if AI technologies expand without adequate safeguards.

The report stresses that lower current exposure does not mean lower risk, especially in regions with limited digital infrastructure or weak labor protections, where even small-scale automation could destabilize vulnerable sectors.

To support a fair transition, the ILO urges governments, employers, and workers’ organizations to take decisive action. Central to this is expanding access to digital skills training, especially for women and clerical workers, and integrating AI strategies within broader labor market and education policies.

The report highlights the need for technical training, modernized curricula, supportive infrastructure, and alignment between employers’ needs and national policies. Inclusive social dialogue must be at the core of this transition, allowing workers to shape how GenAI is introduced and ensuring their experiences inform implementation decisions.

Without such engagement, the risk of widening gender gaps and declining job quality will increase.

Finally, the study emphasizes the importance of bridging digital divides. Expanding infrastructure and ensuring equitable access to technology remain crucial for enabling all countries to participate fully in the future of work shaped by generative AI.