New data show stagnant job growth in Minnesota. Even if numbers improve in the long run, labor researchers are painting a picture of which jobs will be most affected by artificial intelligence.
The latest unemployment report says the state's jobless rate has inched up to 4.4%. It suggests federal actions, such as the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, are contributing factors. Others studying workforce trends say AI is a noteworthy threat.
Aaron Rosenthal, research director for the think tank North Star Policy Action, testified before the Legislature this spring, saying Minnesota's abundance of professionals sicj as software developers makes the state vulnerable. He added that a lot of at-risk jobs tend to be non-union.
"What this suggests is this mismatch," he said, "where the workers that are most impacted by AI are also the least likely to have a union that can help them in shaping the way that AI actually impacts their job."
Overall, he said, a third of working Minnesotans are in jobs with high levels of exposure to generative AI. The Legislature is looking at bills meant to provide safeguards. One measure would require employers to notify staff 90 days before a business incorporates automated systems. The idea is to give workers a period to beef up their skills, in the event they're displaced by AI.
Manjeet Rege. a professor and chair of the Department of Software Engineering and Data Science at the University of St. Thomas, worked with North Star Policy Action on its research. He said one glaring trend is that employers are increasingly using AI to replace entry-level work.
"This creates a training gap that we need to address immediately if we want to protect the next generation of [the] Minnesota workforce," he said.
It can't be all doom-and-gloom as technology continues to quickly evolve, he said, noting generative AI can still help increase productivity and bring new job opportunities. But he cautioned that it needs to be done responsibly.
Nationally, the AFL-CIO president has said standing up to tech billionaires making money off of AI will be the “next big fight" for the labor movement.
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