GenAI affects 80mn ASEAN jobs, says ILO

Fresh report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals that generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is set to impact the working lives of nearly 80 million people — approximately 22.9 percent of the workforce — across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The study, titled ‘Generative AI and labour markets in ASEAN: Significant exposure, limited disruption, uneven preparedness,’ examines GenAI’s implications across 11 nations.

The findings suggest that while technological exposure is widespread, actual labour market disruption remains limited, with no evidence of large-scale job cuts to date.

According to ILO projections for 2025, only 3.3 percent of the regional workforce (11.7 million workers) falls into the "highest exposure category," while 67 percent remains entirely unexposed. Employment in highly exposed occupations has actually continued to expand, indicating structural transition rather than immediate job losses.

Among the nations surveyed, Singapore records the highest workplace exposure at 42.2 percent followed by the Philippines at 28.1 percent, owing to its prominent IT and service sectors. Indonesia (21.7 percent), Vietnam (20.8 percent), and Thailand (20.6 percent) also show notable exposure rates. Currently, integration is in its infancy and heavily concentrated in tech-centric professions, leaving clerical and administrative roles slow to adapt despite their high vulnerability.

The report also highlights a stark gender gap - women are more than twice as likely as men to hold high-exposure jobs due to their concentration in clerical and administrative positions.

To foster inclusive benefits, the ILO recommends prioritizing human-centered governance, expanding inclusive reskilling programs for women and youth, and supporting small businesses in overcoming adoption barriers.