AI linked to a fourfold increase in productivity growth and 56% wage premium, while jobs grow even in the most easily automated roles

• Workers see rising wages: AI-skilled workers see average 56% wage premium in 2024, double the 25% in the previous year

• Confounding expectations, data shows job availability grew 38% in the roles more exposed to AI, albeit below the growth rate in less exposed occupations

• Industries ‘most exposed’ to AI saw 3x higher growth in revenue per employee (27%) compared to those ‘least exposed’ (9%)

• The skills sought by employers are changing 66% faster in jobs ‘most exposed’ to AI 

• Ireland: AI exposed roles have almost doubled since 2019

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 PwC’s 2025 Global AI Jobs Barometer, released today. The report is based on 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 7% from 2018-2022 to 27% from 2018-2024. In contrast, the rate of productivity growth in industries least exposed to AI (e.g. mining, hospitality) declined from 10% to 9% over the same period.

2024 data shows that the most AI exposed industries are now seeing 3x higher growth in revenue per employee than the least exposed.

David Lee, Chief Technology Officer, PwC Ireland, said: “The research shows that the power of AI to deliver for businesses is only at the start of the transition.  As we roll out agentic AI at enterprise scale, we will see how the right combination of technology and culture can create dramatic new opportunities to reimage how organisations work and create value.”

Job numbers are rising 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%) in recent years (2019-2024), growth remained robust even in more exposed occupations (38%). 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.

Ireland: AI exposed roles have almost doubled since 2019

In Ireland the study also shows more job postings and higher demand for roles requiring AI-related skills.  Job numbers in AI-exposed occupations  in Ireland have grown 94% since 2019 – including positive growth in every type of occupation. Across industries in Ireland job postings for augmented positions are growing at a faster rate than those for automated roles.  Augmentation exposed jobs have seen much higher job growth across almost all sectors than automation exposed jobs, reflecting demand for workers who are enhanced by AI.  

In Ireland, the results suggest that AI-exposed occupations are also undergoing transformation, requiring workers to reskill and upskill more frequently. For example, the top quartile of occupations exposed to AI in Ireland have seen a 2.78 times greater change in demanded skills compared to the bottom quartile.    

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%, up from 25% last year. Jobs that require such AI skills also continue to grow faster than all jobs – rising 7.5% from last year, even as total job postings fell 11.3%.

Laoise Mullane, Director, Workforce Consulting, PwC Ireland, commented: “In contrast to worries that AI could cause sharp reductions in the number of jobs available – this year's findings show jobs are growing in virtually every type of AI-exposed occupation, including highly automatable ones. AI is amplifying and democratizing expertise, enabling employees to multiply their impact and focus on higher-level responsibilities. With the right foundations, both companies and workers can re-define their roles and industries and emerge leaders in their field, particularly as the full gambit of applications becomes clearer.”

The skills earthquake accelerates – AI is creating deep change in the 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% 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 7 percentage points between 2019 and 2024 from 66% to 59%, and 9 percentage points (53% to 44%) for jobs AI automates.

Gerard McDonough, Partner, Workforce Consulting, PwC Ireland, concluded: “In Ireland we are also seeing the productivity prize from AI: PwC’s 2025 Irish CEO survey showed that 44% of Irish CEOs reported AI increased efficiencies in their employees’ time at work in the last 12 months. However, to reach full potential, close attention needs to be given to skills enhancement: PwC’s Irish 2025 GenAI Business Leaders survey revealed that 73% of Irish business leaders are of the view that AI will require most of their workforce to develop new skills.”    

“AI’s rapid advance is not just re-shaping industries, but fundamentally altering the workforce and the skills required. This is not a situation that employers can easily buy their way out of. Even if they can pay the premium required to attract talent with AI skills, those skills can quickly become out of date without investment in the systems to help the workforce learn.”

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. See AI as a tool for enterprise-wide transformation and not just personal productivity.
2. Treat AI as a growth strategy, not just an efficiency strategy. Ensure your workforce has the skills to make the most of AI’s power. 
3. Not losing sight of the importance of overall governance to build and retain the trust needed to maximise the opportunity presented.