Salt Lake is eighth at-risk city for AI job loss, study shows

SALT LAKE CITY — A recent study conducted by Chamber of Commerce Team (COC) revealed that Salt Lake City is number eight on the list of most threatened job markets to be replaced by Artificial Intelligence over the next five years in the U.S.

With Artificial Intelligence gaining more attention in the workplace, AI has already been linked to layoffs in the tech industry. The study took a look at over 800 occupations and analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study evaluated losses versus new jobs in those occupations from the span of 2018 to 2023.

It’s resolved that of a total 780,740 employees in the workforce in Salt Lake, 109,500 of them are in jeopardy of being replaced by AI.

Las Vegas stands at the top of the list with 15.8% of their job market at risk while Miami and Louisville trail behind it with rates around 15%. Salt Lake City is positioned as the eighth city on the list with 14.03% of its job market jeopardized.

According to COC and World Economic Forum (WEF), retail salespeople are the most vulnerable occupation in the Salt Lake area with over 30.2k employees. The second and third place occupations are cashiers with 16.5k employees and customer service representatives with 11.4k.

While the possible decline in these jobs is frightening, there are markets that are forecasted to grow as much as 30% within the next five years, according to WEF. The growing markets include roles in data analysis, science, machine learning and cybersecurity. This projection is worldwide and not specified for Salt Lake in particular, but will still affect the Utah job market.

In spite of the risks AI has activated across the American job market, COC encourages workers everywhere to consider implementation of AI within daily work routines. The idea is ostensibly contradicting to the AI warnings for these job markets but is still said to help employees and business owners “properly prepare” for the future of the workplace.