Gartner Forecasts AI Will Create 1.7 Million More Jobs Than It Eliminates by 2030

Gartner predicts 10.6 million jobs will be created and 8.9 million lost globally (excluding China and India) by 2030, a net gain of 1.7 million, with job losses attributable to AI reaching at most 1.8% of the workforce. The firm also estimates 5 million jobs will be deferred because companies cite AI to hold back hiring. In 2026 so far, AI-attributed job losses (2.2 million) still exceed gains (1.6 million), though Gartner expects that to reverse as AI deployments mature.

Why it matters: Practitioners planning headcount and skills should note that Gartner's near-term data shows AI-linked hiring freezes already outpacing AI-driven job creation, even though the long-run forecast is net positive.