One in Two Young People Say "AI Will Replace Jobs Within Five Years"... Heightened Anxiety Among Unemployed and White-Collar Workers

Survey of 1,000 Young People by the Association

Concerns Over Reduced Growth Opportunities Due to Decrease in Entry-Level Tasks

and Widening Income Gap

More than one in two young people believe that their current or desired job will either be replaced or downsized by artificial intelligence (AI) within the next five years. In particular, the survey found that unemployed youth actively seeking work, as well as those in office or professional roles that are more susceptible to AI, feel a much stronger sense of anxiety about potential job loss.

According to the results of the "Survey on Youth Employment Perceptions Amid AI Expansion" conducted by the Korea Economic Association (hereafter referred to as KEA) through the polling agency Mono Research and released on August 18, 53.9% of respondents stated that it is "highly likely" their jobs will be replaced or downsized by AI within five years.

Survey on Youth Job Perceptions Amid AI Expansion. Korea Economic Association

By employment status, the proportion was significantly higher among young job seekers not currently employed, at 63.8%, compared to 49.4% among those who already have jobs, indicating that unemployed youth are much more concerned about job reductions.

Those working in sectors and occupations where technology is rapidly adopted felt the greatest threat. Among occupational groups highly exposed to AI—such as office workers, managers, and professionals—58.4% said their jobs were at high risk of being replaced, significantly higher than the 45.8% found among low-exposure occupations like manual labor or agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. By industry, high-exposure industries—including financial and insurance services and information technology—scored 54.5%, evaluating their risk of replacement within five years as much higher than lower-exposure industries such as transportation, warehousing, and construction, which registered 43.5%.

Youth respondents simultaneously expressed hope that AI would improve work efficiency and fear that gaps in skills could leave them behind in the competition. While 64.7% said that AI would help them enhance their job expertise and career competitiveness, a substantial 53.6% were also concerned they could fall behind due to differences in AI proficiency.

In particular, 65.6% of respondents worried that AI could take over entry-level tasks such as document organization and basic data processing—duties typically handled by new hires—thereby reducing opportunities to gain practical experience and grow into highly skilled talent. Moreover, 67.7% of young people said that the gap in AI skills could further deepen income and career polarization within their generation.

When asked about the most urgent policy priorities for ensuring job stability in the age of AI, "strengthening support for companies hiring new young employees" (23.8%) and "expanding opportunities for entry-level and junior work experience" (23.7%) topped the list. Other priorities included "bolstering AI utilization training for youth" (19.8%) and "improving working conditions in sectors struggling with labor shortages" (15.9%).

Lee Sangho, head of the economic division at KEA, stated, "Current youth hiring support programs, such as the Youth Job Support Incentive, should not stop at supporting recruitment alone. There is a need to further incentivize companies that offer entry-level job experience and AI training. Job experience projects like internships should also be upgraded to focus on hands-on, project-based roles utilizing AI, so that young people have greater opportunities to build practical job skills through AI."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.