Randstad Survey Finds Gen Z Workers Most Anxious About AI’s Growing Role at Work
Randstad Survey Finds Gen Z Workers Most Anxious About AI’s Growing Role at Work
Synopsis- A global Randstad survey shows widespread concern that artificial intelligence will reshape daily work.
- Younger workers, particularly Gen Z, express the highest levels of anxiety about job disruption.
- Many employees believe AI gains may accrue more to corporations than to the workforce.
Four in five workers expect artificial intelligence to change how they carry out everyday tasks, with younger employees emerging as the most uneasy about the pace of adoption, according to findings published by The Business Times. The results come from Randstad’s annual Workmonitor report, which highlights growing unease as companies expand the use of AI chatbots, automation tools, and algorithm-driven systems across offices and factories.
The survey points to a sharp rise in demand for advanced AI capabilities. Roles requiring so-called “AI agent” skills have increased by 1,587 per cent, reflecting how rapidly employers are restructuring jobs around automation. At the same time, the data suggest that lower-complexity and transactional roles are increasingly vulnerable as organisations deploy software to handle routine tasks once performed by people.
Randstad, one of the world’s largest recruitment agencies, based its report on responses from 27,000 workers and 1,225 employers, alongside analysis of more than three million job advertisements across 35 markets. The scale of the study underscores how broadly the issue is being felt, from developed economies to emerging labour markets.
Pressure on employment is intensifying as companies worldwide pursue cost reductions amid softer consumer sentiment. Ongoing trade tensions linked to US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and foreign-policy stance have added uncertainty to global business conditions, prompting firms to reassess headcount and investment priorities. Within this environment, technology-led efficiency drives have accelerated, even as many organisations are still waiting to see clear returns from heavy spending on artificial intelligence.
AI-centric technology firms have been among the most aggressive adopters, in some cases replacing human roles outright with automated systems. This shift is taking place despite lingering questions about whether current AI investments will deliver sustained productivity gains over the long term.
“What we generally see amongst employees is that they are enthusiastic about AI, but also sceptical,” Randstad chief executive Sander van ’t Noordende said in comments cited by Reuters. He noted that workers recognise the potential benefits of new tools, while remaining wary that companies are primarily focused on saving costs and boosting efficiency rather than protecting jobs.
The generational divide is stark. According to the report, Gen Z respondents are the most concerned about how artificial intelligence may affect their employment prospects and ability to adapt. Baby Boomers, by contrast, express greater confidence and are the least worried about AI’s impact on their roles or skill relevance.
Nearly half of all workers surveyed believe that the benefits of artificial intelligence will flow more to corporations than to employees, reinforcing perceptions that the balance of power in the workplace may tilt further toward employers as technology advances.
The findings also reveal a gap between management optimism and worker sentiment. While about 95 per cent of employers surveyed expect their businesses to grow this year, only 51 per cent of employees share that outlook. Separate executive research cited in the report shows that many corporate leaders are simultaneously grappling with other risks, including exposure to trade tariffs and cyber threats, while more than four in ten worry about the speed of technological change itself.
Together, the data paint a picture of a workforce caught between anticipation and anxiety: eager to use new tools, but uncertain about who ultimately benefits as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in daily work life.
Source: The Business Times – Have a Story? Address it to the Editor and submit it here
About Randstad
Randstad is a global leader in human resources and recruitment services, operating across permanent placement, temporary staffing, and workforce management solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company supports employers and job seekers across a wide range of industries, from professional services and technology to manufacturing and logistics. Randstad is known for its extensive labour-market research, including its annual Workmonitor report, which tracks workforce sentiment, skills trends, and employer expectations across multiple regions. By combining large-scale survey data with job-market analytics, the company provides insights into how economic shifts, technology adoption, and demographic change are reshaping employment. Randstad works with multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and public-sector organisations, helping them navigate talent shortages, reskilling needs, and evolving workplace models. Through its research and advisory work, Randstad plays a central role in informing policy discussions and business strategies related to the future of work.
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