AI job creation outpaces elimination, Metrigy study finds

Artificial intelligence is generating more employment opportunities than it destroys, according to new data that challenges widespread fears about automation-driven job losses.

A global study of 759 companies by research firm Metrigy found that 43.7% of organizations report AI has created jobs at their company, while 23.2% say it has eliminated positions. Another 42% reported no net effect on employment. Among companies experiencing both job creation and elimination, 66.3% said AI created more roles than it removed.

The findings, first reported by No Jitter, come from Metrigy's AI Organizational Best Practices 2026-27 study and provide concrete data on how AI adoption is reshaping workforce composition.

Technical roles see strongest growth

The research identified specific positions experiencing the most significant expansion. Prompt engineers led job growth, with 63.3% of companies increasing these roles compared to 12.5% decreasing them. AI agent UX designers saw identical growth rates at 63.3% increase versus 16.4% decrease.

Security experts also emerged as a high-demand category, with 61.9% of organizations adding positions against 14.9% reducing them. Traditional IT roles showed mixed results—programmers and general IT staff experienced both increases (53.3% and 60.4% respectively) and decreases (20% for both categories), yielding net positive growth.

Among general business roles, AI ethicists saw 54.3% growth versus 17.4% decline. Quality assurance personnel increased at 51.8% of companies while decreasing at 17.8%. Notably, content creators defied early predictions of AI displacement, with 46.5% of companies adding these positions compared to 20.8% reducing them.

Front-line positions face pressure

The data revealed clear vulnerability for certain role categories. Administrative assistants experienced the steepest decline, with 30.1% of companies reducing these positions (though 37.7% increased them). Contact center agents saw similar patterns at 29.8% decrease versus 38.1% increase. Receptionists and frontline workers also appeared among the most affected categories.

Metrigy CEO Robin Gareiss noted that companies are achieving cost management through hiring avoidance rather than workforce reductions. Several organizations reported hiring 20% to 50% fewer contact center agents than originally planned, representing future cost savings without cutting existing staff.

Why it matters

The disconnect between actual job market data and employee perception creates a management challenge that business leaders cannot ignore. While aggregate numbers show net job creation, individual displacement events generate anxiety that affects workforce morale and productivity. Organizations must address these concerns through transparent communication and retraining programs, even when overall employment at their company is growing. The data also provides concrete guidance for workers and educators about which skills and roles face the strongest demand in an AI-augmented economy.

Employee anxiety persists despite positive data

A separate Metrigy consumer study of 1,000 U.S. workers revealed significant anxiety about AI's employment impact. Job displacement ranked as a concern for 53.7% of respondents, nearly matching worries about misinformation (55.7%) and data privacy (55.1%).

When asked about personal career impact, 47.9% of workers believed AI would have no effect on their jobs, while 27.1% saw it creating opportunities. However, 25% viewed AI as a threat to their employment. Younger workers aged 18-25 and those earning under $20,000 annually expressed the highest concern levels.

The research suggests successful AI adoption requires both technical implementation and workforce management strategies. Companies that help employees leverage AI tools—rather than compete against them—are seeing productivity gains that justify increased compensation for workers who identify automation opportunities.

The details were first reported by Metrigy in research conducted during the 2026-27 period.