"We have job openings, but they are not the jobs that excite people and they don't pay as well," said Ron Hetrick, principal economist at the labor research firm Lightcast and a former senior official at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "You can't stop trash collection. We need cops and firefighters and mechanics."
In the meantime, labor experts say young job seekers and those with degrees should embrace AI and adapt quickly to it, instead of worrying about it.
Nicole Bachaud, economist at the job-search site ZipRecruiter (ZIP), said her research shows businesses increasingly want employees with AI know-how - and they are less willing to hire those with none.
Read also: At school, it's cheating. At work, it's essential. New grads are caught in a double standard around AI.
"It's a really high bar for new and younger employees," she said. "People who use AI and market themselves as using AI in their job searches are more likely to get job offers."
