It's a story at least as old as the steam engine—workers fearing obsolescence in the face of new technology. While workers' fears are valid, it's not the end of their careers. Here's why. (Article by Jocelyn Gafner) https://lnkd.in/ggURWNmq #BCSKansas #careerchange #jobseekers

The chart tells a story, not of decline but of opportunity. A moment to reinvest in skilled labor and rebuild the backbone of American industry. An opportunity for the reindustrialization of America. The S&P 500 is climbing. Job openings are collapsing. We’ve never seen a split like this in modern economic history. AI is already eating the bottom half of the knowledge economy. It’s not 10 years out. It’s happening right now. Companies are growing earnings without growing teams. Automation is replacing analysts, assistants, admins, and interns. The future of white collar work is being rewritten in real time. AI is concentrating leverage. “Good Enough” won’t cut it anymore. Only the great survive. Those who can drive outcomes faster, smarter, and with fewer people will rise. The rest? Replaced. Here’s the real problem: We don’t have a plan for where displaced workers go next. But I’ll tell you where the gap already exists, and where it’s growing fastest: Skilled trades. Linemen. Electricians. Welders. Operators. Craftsmen. These roles are mission-critical to the reindustrialization of America. They aren’t just safe from AI. They’re in massive demand. We are rebuilding the backbone of this country, but we don’t have the labor force to do it. This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about national competitiveness. It’s about wealth creation for people who can build, fix, and own the work.

One of the main themes at today’s excellent The Times Tech Summit in London was the question of which job types AI will create to offset the ones it will erase. Amid the usual platitudes (“society will self-regulate to increase employment” being a notable example) CoreWeave’s CEO and co-founder Michael Intrator offered a helpful view on how the UK could generate meaningful work during the lag between job destruction and creation: “We can’t get enough plumbers, electricians or engineers [to build data centres]… You’ve got many many years of massive employment to build the infrastructure and upgrade the grid - that’s a 15-20 year project”. Of course this might be a peak 2025 capex bubble perspective, from one of the companies central to that bubble, but it does feel specific and plausible; anecdotally AI-exposed professionals such as graphic designers and animators are already retraining as tradespeople in numbers. And maybe - irrespective of AI factories continuing to drive infrastructure demand - a resilient and high capacity national smart grid should be a priority, particularly if it offers displaced workers a safe harbour.

🤖 AI is reshaping the workforce and it’s influencing what kind of work Gen Z is willing to do. According to the latest ResumeTemplates survey, 47% of Gen Zers believe blue-collar jobs are more secure than corporate ones. Among those, 80% say it’s because trades can’t be replaced by AI. While AI streamlines corporate operations, it’s also reshaping career aspirations. Instead of competing with automation, Gen Z is pivoting toward professions that require human skill, physical presence, and creativity on-site, like construction, plumbing, and electrical work. The data suggests that long-term stability, not status, is what drives Gen Z’s career choices. 💬 Are organizations prepared for a future where the next generation opts out of traditional office work altogether? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gDjjaCPV

🚨 U.S. Labor Market: Slower Growth, Strategic Hiring Ahead 🚨 The latest BLS data shows a shift in the labor market: job creation is slowing, unemployment has ticked up to 4.3%, and sectors like manufacturing, construction, and government are seeing losses. But slower growth doesn’t mean fewer opportunities — it means employers are rethinking how they hire. Here’s what stands out for 2026: Healthcare: Still the largest growth engine. With an aging population, ongoing burnout, and the rise of digital medicine, healthcare support and IT roles are in high demand. Green Energy & Skilled Trades: From wind turbines to solar panels to electricians, hands-on expertise can’t be automated. Skilled labor pipelines are essential to keep projects moving. Manufacturing & Tech: While overall manufacturing hiring may stagnate, specialized roles like maintenance techs, machinists, and automation experts remain critical. Tech is shifting toward skills-first hiring, especially in AI, data, and gaming. The takeaway for employers: ✅ Leverage temporary and contract staffing for flexibility ✅ Tap into specialized talent pools to maintain operational continuity ✅ Adapt hiring strategies to focus on skills, certifications, and agility For workers: focus on skills development, certifications, and flexibility — opportunities are evolving, and adaptability will be key. Staffing agencies play a pivotal role in connecting talent to demand in this shifting landscape. In 2026, strategic staffing isn’t just a convenience — it’s a competitive advantage. #LaborMarket #StaffingSolutions #WorkforceStrategy #Healthcare #SkilledTrades #TechTalent #HR #Recruitment #HiringTrends

As artificial intelligence reshapes the modern workplace, many young workers say they’re struggling to keep pace—and subsequently having a hard time finding jobs. https://lnkd.in/gMGxD2Kr

🚀 The Future of Jobs — 2025 and Beyond! The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals a major shift in the job market. Some roles are booming 🌱 while others are rapidly disappearing 📉. Let’s take a look 👇 ⸻ 🔥 Top 15 Fastest-Growing Jobs 1️⃣ Big Data Specialists 2️⃣ FinTech Engineers 3️⃣ AI & Machine Learning Specialists 4️⃣ Software and Applications Developers 5️⃣ Security Management Specialists 6️⃣ Data Warehousing Specialists 7️⃣ Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Specialists 8️⃣ UI and UX Designers 9️⃣ Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers 🔟 Internet of Things (IoT) Specialists 11️⃣ Data Analysts and Scientists 12️⃣ Environmental Engineers 13️⃣ Information Security Analysts 14️⃣ DevOps Engineers 15️⃣ Renewable Energy Engineers ⸻ 📉 Top 15 Fastest-Declining Jobs 1️⃣ Postal Service Clerks 2️⃣ Bank Tellers and Related Clerks 3️⃣ Data Entry Clerks 4️⃣ Cashiers and Ticket Clerks 5️⃣ Administrative Assistants & Executive Secretaries 6️⃣ Printing and Related Trades Workers 7️⃣ Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Clerks 8️⃣ Material-Recording and Stock-Keeping Clerks 9️⃣ Transportation Attendants and Conductors 10️⃣ Door-to-Door Sales Workers, News & Street Vendors 11️⃣ Graphic Designers 12️⃣ Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators 13️⃣ Legal Officials 14️⃣ Legal Secretaries 15️⃣ Telemarketers ⸻ 💡 What this means for you: The future belongs to the tech-savvy, adaptable, and continuously learning professionals. If you’re in a declining role — it’s not the end. It’s an invitation to reskill and reinvent. #FutureOfWork #CareerGrowth #AI #DigitalTransformation #WEF #Jobs2025 #LinkedInLearning #Reskilling #Automation World Economic Forum. (2025). The Future of Jobs Report 2025. World Economic Forum. https://lnkd.in/dr2cxsps

💼 The 2025 Tech Salary Reality Check is here. UK tech hiring has entered a new era, one defined by caution, competition, and correction. From CTOs leading large-scale transformation to senior engineers driving AI adoption, the latest salary data shows a market where: 📈 Specialist roles in AI, Cloud, and Security continue to command a premium 🌍 Regional hubs like Manchester, Bristol & Glasgow are closing the gap with London 💡 Flexibility, autonomy, and culture now rival salary as key retention factors Whether you’re planning next year’s budgets or looking to secure niche tech talent, understanding what great looks like (and what it costs) is non-negotiable. Our new guide, “Mastering UK Tech Talent Recruitment: 2025 Salary Benchmarks,” goes beyond the numbers to uncover rough strategies we've seen generally in the field that we feel are shaping the next wave of digital growth. 🔗 Read the full report here → https://lnkd.in/e3PBWCEv #TechRecruitment #SalaryBenchmarks #UKTech #DigitalTransformation #HiringInsights

🤔 The Missing Middle of Modernization The Quiet Off-Ramp of Midcareer Talent I entered federal civil service during the early e-gov push—when modernization meant scanning paper files, standing up the first electronic systems, and convincing people that digital records could be trusted. As an early Millennial, I’ve grown up alongside that evolution: • From paper personnel files • To electronic HR systems and eOPF • To today’s cloud platforms and AI-enabled tools That puts many of us in a unique spot: old enough to remember the file room, young enough to help design AI-era workflows. We’re the bridge between Gen X leadership and Gen Z/younger Millennials entering public service now. During the 2025 workforce reshaping, many in that “bridge” cohort experienced position abolishments, reorganizations, hiring freezes, and burnout—and, from my vantage point, some midcareer employees who needed telework / remote, caregiving flexibility, or military-spouse stability felt they were being perceived as more “expensive” or “complicated” to support. When that happens, government doesn’t just lose headcount. They lose: • Translators who can speak both legacy and cloud, policy and platform • Continuity of memory about how systems evolved and why certain guardrails exist • Future leaders (many with decades of service excellence) who could have grown into SES and executive roles with both analog context and digital fluency. At the very moment government is trying to modernize with cloud, data, and AI, hollowing out the people who connect policy, people, and platforms is a real risk. It leaves agencies more dependent on contractors, more vulnerable to reinvention fatigue, and less able to explain their own systems to the public. If we want trustworthy AI, resilient systems, and credible public service, we can’t treat the early-Millennial “bridge generation” as disposable. We need them at the table—designing guardrails, preserving institutional knowledge, and mentoring the next wave of talent. Those midcareer bridges are not a cost center (or a swamp of inefficiency). They’re part of the infrastructure of trust. Views are my own, based on my experience in and around government HR systems and modernization. #PublicService #HRModernization #EGov #DigitalGovernment #Cloud #AIinHR #WorkforcePlanning #PeopleAnalytics #GovernmentHR #MillennialLeader #FutureOfWork

As artificial intelligence reshapes the modern workplace, many young workers say they’re struggling to keep pace—and subsequently having a hard time finding jobs. https://lnkd.in/gwNykZJK