AI Is Reshaping White-Collar Jobs—but Not Eliminating Them Yet

Anthropic, a U.S.-based AI research firm, has released a new study on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market. The report introduces a fresh approach to measuring AI's real-world impact, offering policymakers clearer insights into emerging trends.

The study presents a metric called observed exposure, blending theoretical AI capabilities with actual workplace data. This method allows for regular updates on how quickly businesses adopt AI tools across different sectors.

So far, the research shows AI is most active in 'white-collar' roles, particularly among software developers, customer support staff, and financial analysts. Workers in these fields tend to be better educated, earn higher wages, and are more often women. Yet despite AI's growing presence, there is no sign of widespread job cuts in these professions as of early 2025. New graduates, however, are finding fewer opportunities in these areas. The gap between AI's theoretical potential and its real-world use remains large. Fields like IT, business, finance, and administration still rely far less on AI than models predict. Meanwhile, jobs demanding physical skills—such as chefs, mechanics, and bartenders—remain largely untouched by automation. For every 10% of tasks AI takes over, a profession's expected job growth drops by 0.6 percentage points. The study aims to help economists separate lasting changes from short-term shifts in hiring patterns.

Anthropic's findings suggest AI is altering hiring trends rather than causing immediate mass unemployment. The firm's new tracking system will provide ongoing data to monitor how AI adoption evolves. This could help policymakers prepare for long-term shifts in the labour market.