Men's employment grew faster than women's in AI-exposed US jobs, analysis finds

An analysis of 480 U.S. occupations found that for every one-point increase in an occupation's AI exposure score, male employment rose 6.3% while female employment changed by just 0.2%, comparing 2017-2019 with January 2023 to June 2026.

Employment of men in U.S. occupations more exposed to artificial intelligence has grown faster than employment of women, according to an analysis comparing 2017-2019 with the period from January 2023 to June 2026. The years 2020 to 2022 were excluded so that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic would not distort the results.

The analysis scored 480 occupations from zero to 3.5 based on how much AI can perform or assist with their tasks. For every one-point increase in an occupation's exposure score, male employment rose 6.3%, while the change in female employment was limited to 0.2%.

Illustration of artificial intelligence

In the most AI-exposed occupations, male employment grew about 24% more than in the least exposed ones. Women's employment growth was broadly similar regardless of exposure level, and in the least exposed jobs it outpaced men's.

Employment did not fall in the most AI-exposed occupations; it rose. However, the analysis noted that no direct causal link could be drawn between AI exposure and job growth, as other economic and social changes between the two periods may have played a role. The long-term effects of AI on the labor market remain uncertain.