AI rebounding: 1 in 5 US workers replaced by AI were asked back

What do rehired workers ask for?

The people who got the call are not rushing back at the old terms. Of those approached, 51% wanted a substantial raise, 42% wanted job security in writing, and 40% wanted openness about how AI would be used in their work. An SHL executive argues the pattern is simple: firms automate before properly judging what people can do, the AI falls short, and they end up rehiring experts at a higher cost.

Real examples of AI rebounding

Swedish fintech Klarna leaned heavily on AI chatbots, then restarted hiring human customer service staff. Ford hired and promoted 350 veteran technicians after its AI quality-control tools did not work as hoped. A separate Robert Half survey found 32% of US hiring managers whose companies cut roles because of AI later brought back the same or a similar position.

This does not mean the layoffs are slowing. Job cuts attributed to AI were announced for 121,401 people through October this year, more than double the 54,836 for all of last year.

Japan looks different. A Tokyo Shoko Research survey in April found only 3.6% of companies said they might offer early retirement within five years because of generative AI.

So AI is taking jobs, and some employers are discovering it cannot do all of them. For workers, that means a bit of leverage, though only for those who get the call.