AI won't cause job collapse, says Adecco
Published On 23 Jul, 2026
Employers have cited AI as responsible for nearly a quarter of job cuts in the United States this year, global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said.
The Reuters Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
Microsoft said this month it was cutting about 2.1% of its workforce, joining HSBC Holdings, Amazon and Standard Chartered in a wave of layoffs as they shift investment toward AI.
But Denis Machuel, CEO of Zurich-based Adecco, the world’s largest staffing company, told Reuters some companies were using AI as a cover for cuts caused by weaker performance, restructuring or other problems.
“AI is bringing a massive evolution in the world of work, but a job apocalypse is not on the horizon,” he said. “It’s more about changing roles and tasks than eliminating jobs.”
Three and a half years after the release of OpenAI’s AI chatbot ChatGPT, employment rates are at record highs and unemployment near historic lows, Adecco said, citing data from the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development about its 38 member countries.
