While artificial intelligence is often blamed for threatening jobs, LinkedIn’s data tells a different story. The decline in hiring since 2022 may have other causes…
For several months now, AI has been at the center of debates about the future of work. Between the automation of certain tasks and the promise of tools capable of replacing certain roles, many observers fear a wave of job cuts.
However, data from LinkedIn paints a more nuanced picture. According to the social network, the decline in hiring observed in recent years is not directly linked to the rise of AI. A conclusion that contrasts with the concerns widely reported in the tech ecosystem…
LinkedIn has observed a 20% decline in hiring since 2022
During a presentation at the Semafor World Economy, Blake Lawit, LinkedIn’s Director of Public and Legal Affairs, revealed certain trends based on the platform’s data.
According to him, hiring has fallen by approximately 20% since 2022. This significant decline is supported by LinkedIn’s “economic graph,” a database comprising over a billion members, companies, skills, and job postings.
Despite this contraction in the labor market, the company states that it has not identified a direct link to artificial intelligence. Blake Lawit explains that sectors often cited as being most vulnerable to automation (customer support, marketing, or administrative roles) show no particular signs of being replaced by AI in the current data.
In other words, the decline in hiring is real, but it is not more pronounced in the jobs supposedly most at risk.
Interest rates cited as the main cause
According to LinkedIn, the explanation lies more in the macroeconomic context. The rise in interest rates observed since 2022 has reportedly prompted companies to slow down their hiring.
When the cost of capital rises, organizations tend to limit their investments and postpone certain expenditures. Recruitment is often among the first variables to be adjusted, particularly in tech companies or startups.
This caution would therefore result in a more wait-and-see job market, without AI being the primary cause.
LinkedIn also points out that the decline in hiring affects all types of candidates, including recent graduates entering the job market. Here again, the platform does not observe any notable gap that would suggest a massive replacement byartificial intelligence.
Jobs evolving faster than ever
While AI does not yet appear to be directly disrupting hiring, LinkedIn nevertheless believes that its impact on skills will be significant.
The platform notes that over the past few years, the skills required to perform a job have already changed by an average of about 25%. With the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence, this figure could reach 70% by 2030.
Thus, this phenomenon would not necessarily result in immediate job cuts, but rather in a gradual transformation of professions. Even without changing jobs, employees could see their roles evolve rapidly as a result of these new tools.
This outlook explains why LinkedIn places greater emphasis on the need to adapt skills rather than on the massive loss of jobs in the short term…
