Artificial intelligence (AI) is making workers more valuable, productive, and able to command higher wage premiums, with job numbers rising even in roles considered most automatable, according to PriceWaterhouse Coopers’ (PwC) 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer.

The report is based on an analysis of close to a billion job ads from six continents.

The report finds that since GenAI’s proliferation in 2022, productivity growth has nearly quadrupled in industries most exposed to AI (e.g. financial services, software publishing), rising from seven per cent from 2018-2022 to 27 per cent from 2018-2024. In contrast, the rate of productivity growth in industries least exposed to AI (for example, mining and hospitality) declined from 10 per cent to nine per cent over the same period.

2024 data shows that the most AI-exposed industries are now seeing three times higher growth in revenue per employee than the least exposed. In financial services, for example, AI is set to play a major
role in the sector’s continued growth. It is already boosting productivity and changing the nature of work in this industry more rapidly than in almost any other. PwC’s research finds that the financial services industry has seen significant adoption of AI and automation, particularly for repetitive tasks such as transaction processing and compliance reporting.

“PwC’s research shows that AI’s potential to drive business outcomes is already being realised. We’re merely at the beginning of this transformation. As we scale agentic AI across enterprises, it’s evident that the right blend of technology and organisational culture can create significant new opportunities to rethink how businesses operate and deliver value,” said Zia Paton, PwC’s digital services leader in the Caribbean.

“Reflecting this momentum, our Caribbean Digital Readiness Survey finds nearly half of business leaders in the region see AI as critical to their strategy with that number growing over the next few years.

“Contrary to concerns that AI might drastically reduce job availability, this year’s Global AI Jobs Barometer findings indicate that employment is expanding across nearly all AI-impacted roles, including those highly susceptible to automation. AI is enhancing and democratising expertise, empowering employees to amplify their impact and concentrate on more strategic responsibilities. With the right foundations, both companies and workers can redefine their roles and industries, emerging as leaders in their fields, especially as the full spectrum of applications becomes clearer.”

Job numbers rise in virtually every type of AI-exposed occupation, even those highly automatable

Contrary to some expectations, the data from the report does not show job or wage destruction from AI.

While occupations with lower exposure to AI saw strong job growth (65 per cent) in recent years (2019- 2024), growth remained robust even in more exposed occupations (38 per cent). Within more exposed occupations, jobs can be further divided into ‘automated’ (i.e., the job contains some tasks that AI can carry out) and ‘augmented’ (i.e., where AI helps a human do their job better). Across both classifications between 2019-24, job numbers are growing in every industry analysed, although augmented jobs are generally growing faster.

Wages are growing twice as fast in AI-exposed industries

Wages are growing twice as fast in industries more exposed to AI versus less exposed, with wages rising in both automatable and augmentable jobs.

Jobs which require AI skills also offer a wage premium (over similar roles that don’t require AI skills) in every industry analysed, with the average premium hitting 56 per cent, up from 25 per cent last year. Jobs that require such AI skills also continue to grow faster than all jobs, rising 7.5 per cent from last year, even as total job postings fell 11.3 per cent.

The skills earthquake accelerates: AI creating deep change skills workers need to succeed

While the picture on productivity, wages and jobs is broadly positive, the research does highlight the need for workers and businesses to adapt to a much faster pace of change. The skills sought by employers are changing 66% faster in occupations most exposed to AI, up from 25 per cent last year.

What it takes to succeed in AI-exposed jobs is changing in other ways. Employer demand for formal degrees is declining for all jobs, but especially quickly for AI-exposed jobs. The percentage of jobs AI augments that require a degree fell seven percentage points between 2019 and 2024, from 66 per cent to 59 per cent, and nine percentage points (53 per cent to 44 per cent) for jobs AI automates.

The findings show that AI’s impact on women and men may be unequal – in every country analysed, more women than men are in AI-exposed roles, suggesting the skills pressure facing women will be higher.

The AI business imperative

If businesses are to turbocharge their growth and leverage the opportunity afforded by AI, they must put AI front and centre, now.

The report recommends five key actions for businesses:

1. Use AI for enterprise-wide transformation.
2. Treat AI as a growth strategy, not just an efficiency strategy.
3. Prioritise Agentic AI.
4. Enable your workforce to have the skills to make the most of AI’s power.
5. Unlock AI’s transformative potential by building trust.

“AI is reshaping the world of work, and its impact on productivity and job growth is undeniable. Here in Jamaica and across the Caribbean, the opportunity is immense. By strategically adopting AI and equipping our workforce with the right skills, we can unlock new levels of efficiency, innovation, and economic growth. Businesses that act now will not only thrive but lead the way in defining the future of work for our region,” said Adrian Tait, consulting leader at PwC Jamaica.