This story was originally posted to MyNorthwest.com
A recent Microsoft report highlights a growing divide in job security between blue-collar workers and desk-based employees amid the rise of artificial intelligence.
The study emphasizes that office and white-collar roles are increasingly vulnerable to AI-driven changes, while many blue-collar professions remain relatively protected, according to CNBC.
Researchers analyzed data from over 200,000 anonymized interactions with their AI assistant collected in the U.S. over nine months in 2024.
AI boosts white-collar risks; blue-collar jobs remain more secure
Findings showed that jobs like interpreters, translators, historians, writers, and sales representatives were at the highest risk of AI impact. In contrast, blue-collar workers — including dishwashers, massage therapists, roofers, maids, and housekeeping cleaners — were among the least likely to be replaced.
Microsoft also cites a recent Gallup survey that found a notable increase in AI use among white-collar workers, with 27% frequently using AI at work in 2025, up 12% from the previous year. Meanwhile, AI use among production and frontline workers has remained steady, around 9-11% over the past two years.
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