AI Workforce Displacement Briefing
March 2026
168,700,000
US workers assessed across 3,649 professions
PROTECTED 33%
CHANGING 40%
AT RISK 27%
~56.2M protected ~68.1M changing ~44.3M at risk
Based on the AI Job Resistance Index (AIJRI) — 8-dimension scoring across every US occupation using BLS employment data. Average score: 45.1/100.
It’s Already Happening
2026 tech layoffs reach 45000 in March, more than 9200 due to AI and automation
As of March 2026, over 9,200 of the 45,363 tech layoffs worldwide have been linked to AI implementation and organizat...
Google
Block spent 18 months 're-skilling staff' with AI. Now it is laying off 4,000 workers.
Google News
Verizon to Cut 13,000 Jobs, Set Up $20 Million “Reskilling” Fund for Laid Off Staff In “Age of AI”
Google News
Tech Layoffs Surge While AI Jobs Soar: Key Trends Shaping the 2026 Tech Industry
Early 2026 has seen over 45,000 global tech layoffs, largely driven by AI restructuring, even as hiring for AI-relate...
Google
Most Exposed Industries
Industry DomainRisk
Data
28.6
Business & Operations
29.6
Manufacturing
31.1
Real Estate & Property
34.5
Cloud & Infrastructure
35.1
Development
36.0
Creative & Media
37.2
Library, Museum & Archives
39.4
Safest: Trades & Physical (60.5), Veterinary & Animal Care (59.8), Military (57.6)
Evidence-Based Policy Actions
1
Measure It
Mandatory AI Displacement Reporting — require companies to report AI-driven workforce changes quarterly. You cannot manage what you cannot measure.
See: AI-Related Job Impacts Clarity Act (S.3108)
2
Fund Transitions
AI Transition Support Fund — federal matching grants for worker retraining in AI-affected industries. Target Red zone occupations first.
Model: South Korea’s ₩1.4T AI talent investment
3
Set Standards
AI Literacy Framework — adopt the DOL’s 5-area AI literacy standard for workforce development programmes nationwide.
Already published: DOL AI Literacy Framework (Feb 2026)
Source: jobzonerisk.com/policymakers
3,649 professions scored · 28 industry domains · 47 data sources including BLS, OECD, McKinsey, Oxford
Data updated continuously · Methodology: AIJRI v3.2
Data as of March 2026