Workers fear losing jobs amid AI transformation, economic downturn

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A content creation company based in Seoul scrapped its plans to recruit new employees in the second half of this year, citing financial difficulties. This has made Lim, a 30-year-old content creator at the company, feel uneasy.

"The company says it's going through tough times, and there's a directive to cut even the smallest expenses," she said. "Everyone keeps saying AI will replace everything. Honestly, I'm scared that the kind of work I can do might be replaced. As things get harder, they might start cutting staff too."

Many individuals like Lim are struggling to feel secure amid the structural changes affecting industries and organizations, data showed Thursday.

According to a survey conducted by corporate education company HUNET, nearly half of the 546 office workers surveyed said they feel "uncertain about their jobs and the employment environment in the coming year."

The biggest source of anxiety was the slowdown in industrial and market growth, cited by 51.6 percent of respondents. This was followed by the spread of AI and automation (34.1 percent), organizational restructuring (33.1 percent) and changes in job design and roles (20.9 percent).

Lim said she is considering getting certified as a social worker, believing that demand for the role will remain strong due to the aging population, despite the rise of AI.

Data proves that more individuals see AI not merely as a tool for efficiency, but as a transformative force reshaping the labor market and society.

According to a Sept. 17 study conducted by the Korea Press Foundation on 1,000 adults in their 20s to 60s who are aware of generative AI, 87.2 percent of respondents said they were worried that AI might replace their jobs.

"Unlike previous technologies, AI’s limitless scalability is expected to impact even knowledge-based jobs that require advanced degrees or professional certifications. This signals a fundamentally different kind of disruption in the labor market compared to the past," said Lee Eun-young, managing director of Samil PwC Business Research.

"Moving forward, workers who can actively leverage AI as a collaborative tool are expected to command the highest demand," Lee added.

As a response to these shifts, employees are no longer asking companies merely for survival, but for growth and innovation.

The survey by HUNET also found that the most frequently cited keyword that employees believe companies must address when planning for next year was growth, accounting for 31.9 percent. This suggests that employees want to see proactive strategies such as market expansion and entry into new business areas.

This was followed by innovation (26.4 percent), survival (25.3 percent), internal stability (11 percent) and transformation (5.4 percent).

"Although employees feel anxious due to economic uncertainty and technological change, they are also calling on companies to go beyond short-term survival and take responsibility for preparing for the future," a HUNET official said.