Our Scans · (LF.8) Decent Work and Growth · Weekly Summary

• [New] Employment growth in 2026 is projected at 0.5% in upper middle-income economies, 1.8% in lower middle-income economies, and 3.1% in low-income countries. Human Resources Online
• [New] Building Future Ready HR Teams For the AI Age Gartner AI is expected to automate many HR tasks, with 60% of HR work predicted to be completed by intelligent agents by 2030, pushing HR roles to evolve. The ILR School
• [New] The projected growth is being driven by rising global chemical production, expanding international supply chains, and increased demand for specialized chemical logistics services capable of safely handling hazardous and temperature-sensitive materials. WSI
• [New] With Nvidia offering its self-driving technology to multiple automakers, it could sail past Tesla in growth. / USA AOL
• [New] By 2026, cloud computing and AI will work closely together to power smart devices. TechBullion
• [New] AI will significantly disrupt roles and tasks, particularly in white-collar work, but will not trigger a near-term total job collapse. Solutions Review Technology News and Vendor Reviews
• [New] Visibility for 2027 remains limited due to the explosive growth in AI-related demand. Tiger Brokers
• [New] The Gartner Future of Work research emphasizes a critical distinction: Proximity alone will not cure loneliness. The Interview Guys
• [New] Consensus expects S&P 500 revenue growth of 7% this year. Dietz & Lynch Capital
• [New] Based on current estimates, about 80% of the 8% expected S&P 500 earnings growth for the quarter will be driven by the technology sector, which excludes several leading AI players including Alphabet, Amazon, and Meta. Dietz & Lynch Capital
• [New] The grid operator expects strong electricity growth of 17% by 2030 from 2026's projected high, which will be driven by data centers. Energy Connects
• [New] AB expects EM growth to remain resilient in 2026, continuing to outperform developed markets. / China AdvisorAnalyst.com
• [New] If fiscal plans proceed, they would provide important support for growth in 2026; if not, it could cause a deterioration in both growth and sentiment. / Germany AdvisorAnalyst.com
• U.S. economic growth will accelerate to 2.6% in 2026, driven by tax cuts, reduced tariff drag and Federal Reserve rate cuts. Fox Business
• Current forecasts (as of early 2026) see AI capex already contributing significantly to growth (20-40 bps boost recently. some quarters where tech investment outpaced consumer spending), with productivity effects expected to accelerate in the late 2020s / 2030s. NextBigFuture.com
• AI is set to reshape roughly 44% of banking work by 2030, according to consulting firm ThoughtLinks - and Wall Street's biggest firms are racing to get there first. Business Insider
• Strong growth trajectories, with mixed reality shipments expected to increase from 3.3 million units in 2025 to over 15.2 million units by 2029. Next Reality
• Asia Pacific is expected to register the fastest growth rate, fueled by rapid cloud adoption and rising SME digitization in countries like China, India, and Japan. ReAnIn
• India is projected to grow at 6.6% in 2026, registering an exceptionally high growth in a challenging global environment, with resilient private consumption and strong public investment largely offsetting the impact of high US tariffs, the United Nations has said. FirstPost
• Growth drivers will become more diversified beyond AI in 2026 to include fiscal stimulus, lower interest rates and deregulation. Whittier Trust

Last updated: 19 January 2026