AI yet to make significant dent in German employment, study finds

Artificial intelligence (AI) is yet to cost Germany a significant number of jobs, a report by the Nuremberg-based Institute for Employment Research (IAB) has found - but younger workers may already be affected. 

Full-time employment in occupations heavily influenced by AI has actually developed better since 2022 than in other occupations, said the report, which was released on Tuesday.

Employment growth in AI-affected occupations was almost six percentage points higher among 30- to 39-year-olds and around five percentage points higher among 40- to 64-year-olds than in less AI-affected occupations, the institute said.

However, the picture is negative for those under 30: full-time employment in this age group in occupations heavily affected by AI fell 1.2 percentage points more than in less affected jobs, it said.

IAB researchers see fundamental risks from AI in industry, particularly in non-academic occupations. 

In both areas, employment among young people tends to develop negatively when the influence of AI is already high, they said.