By Joe Wilkins
Publication Date: 2025-12-10 16:12:00
Ask just about any job seeker in the US how the labor market is doing, and you’re liable to get an earful. Months upon months of stale job growth have led to a “low-hire economy,” a situation where workers have little leverage over companies, resulting in low wage growth, a rise in freelance hires compared to full-time, and ever-worsening benefit packages.
At the same time, AI has never been buzzier. Even as real-world efficiency gains seem to be slowing to a crawl, the amount of money being spent on AI is only going up, as evidenced by mammoth data center investments and a booming stock market.
As a result, many are wondering what the relationship is between AI’s rise and labor’s stagnation. While economists like Daron Acemoglu argue that any impact AI has on workers won’t be felt for a decade — if it comes at all — tech CEOs are telling a…