McKinsey says AI will create more US jobs than it cuts, but 11 million workers may need new careers

The robots are coming for some jobs. According to a new forecast, they are also bringing a few extra ones with them. AI and automation could cut demand for about 36 million US jobs by 2035, while growth in other parts of the economy creates about 41 million, according to a report from the McKinsey Global Institute. The trouble is that the people losing work and the jobs being created may not line up neatly. The math works. The logistics are another story. The report, released on September 29, 2026, puts the scale of the disruption in context. The 36 million jobs facing lower demand account for nearly 21% of existing work hours in the US. On the other side of the ledger, McKinsey projects 40 to 41 million new positions. The firm attributes most of that growth to broader economic expansion and activity across the AI value chain. Not everyone affected will need to start over. Of the 36 million jobs facing reduced demand, about 25 million workers are likely to stay in related occupations, though with different day-to-day duties. About 11 million workers, or around 6.5 to 7% of the labor force, may need to move into entirely new occupations because tweaking their current roles will not ...