Global Scans · Work · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: AI will replace 16% of jobs over the next decade. A billion people will enter the job market over the next ten years.

• [New] Generative AI will reshape almost every job rather than eliminate positions. BBC News
• [New] AI will displace jobs in China much faster than it creates them, straining employment, wages and the social security system. Merics
• [New] The public increasingly worries about job security amid estimates that robots could replace at least 70% of China's manufacturing jobs. Merics
• [New] As AI in healthcare becomes part of everyday clinical practice, healthcare professionals in 2026 are expected to develop a new set of practical, non-technical AI skills. Oxford Home Study College
• [New] The existing AI models could increase U.S. annual labour productivity growth by 1.8% over the coming decade. Council on Foreign Relations
• [New] By the end of 2026, AI copilots will be embedded in 80% of workplace software. Seed & Society
• [New] US stock markets opened higher on Friday following the release of the latest jobs figures on the prospect that the weaker data might prevent any rate hikes. BBC News
• [New] The weaker than expected US employment report has strengthened expectations that the Federal Reserve may remain patient on interest rates, providing fresh support to gold and silver. investing.com
• [New] Workforce reduction of approximately 60% will align organizational resources to support the efzofitimod program in ILD in anticipation of comments from the FDA on a protocol submitted for a planned Phase 3 study in pulmonary sarcoidosis and to complete the Phase 2 EFZO-CONNECT study in SSc-ILD. GlobeNewswire
• [New] In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare highlights that the working-age population is projected to shrink by nearly 20% by 2040. Persistence Market Research
• [New] At a time of growing global uncertainty, Canada is strengthening its economic sovereignty by investing in the industries, technologies and workers that will shape the future. Mirage News
• Up to 30,000 job taster opportunities lasting from half a day to a few weeks will be offered each year by 2030, giving young people first-hand exposure to different workplaces and industries. ST
• The contract extension, awarded to BAE Systems, will support more than 4,500 workers across the UK in developing advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, advanced software, and augmented reality. UKAuthority
• The Ada Lovelace Institute has warned that AI transcription tools are being rapidly adopted across social work despite limited and light-touch approaches to ethics and evaluation. UKAuthority
• In 2026, effective workforce planning will depend less on reactive hiring and more on forward-looking demand modelling and flexible resourcing strategies. Huntress
• By 2035, businesses will function as interconnected ecosystems where data, advanced platforms, and human capability seamlessly converge to redefine how work is executed. ETWorkplace.com
• Manufacturers expect levels of tech enablement and automation to more than double by 2030, even as blind spots in skills, data infrastructure, and other areas threaten progress. PwC
• The number of people in flexible employment will rise to 320 million in 2026, up from 160 million in 2019. / China The Guardian
• By the end of 2030, in the rapid-progress world, AI systems are capable of competing with the best human minds and workers, and can surpass them. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• Almost half of UK employees expect AI to support them by sharing tasks as part of their role, while a further 46% expect to continue carrying out most of their work themselves, with only limited AI involvement. theHRDIRECTOR
• Nearly half of UK employees expect AI to become a permanent workplace partner, yet only 28% have received AI training from their employer. theHRDIRECTOR
• Employers expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030 and 59% of the workforce to need reskilling or upskilling. / USA Rewordin
• U.S. organizations spent $102.8 billion on training in 2025 - about $874 per learner - while employers now expect 39% of workers' core skills to change by 2030. Rewordin

Last updated: 10 August 2026