The AI-Labor-Market Observatory monitors the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets, productivity, and the economy in general. We provide and gather scientific evidence and data, track interesting developments, and collect relevant anecdotes and observations. No claim is made to completeness, but it serves as a treasure trove of insights. The focus is on developments in Switzerland and the other DACH countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) as well as relevant developments elsewhere, particularly in the United States. Important developments are presented alongside less well-known aspects. The observatory started observations on January 2, 2026.
Das KI-Arbeitsmarkt-Observatorium beschäftigt sich mit den Auswirkungen von Künstlicher Intelligenz auf den Arbeitsmarkt und die Produktivität. Der Fokus liegt auf Entwicklungen in der Schweiz und den anderen Ländern der DACH-Region (Deutschland, Österreich, Schweiz) und relevanten Entwicklungen ausserhalb, insbesondere in den Vereinigten Staaten. Es wird kein Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit erhoben. Wichtige Entwicklungen sollen zusammen mit weniger bekannten Facetten dargestellt werden.
An AI-Labor-Market Observatory – Just in Case (own blog post)
We are in the midst of the artificial intelligence hype. As is typical with a hype, some of the more dramatic predictions may not come true. But one thing is clear: artificial intelligence is here to stay and will have a profound long-term impact on our society and economy. Just in case, we should engage even more than before with various scenarios, so as not to be caught off guard by possible future developments.
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Highly relevant!
"A New U.S. Productivity Chapter? What Industry Data Say About AI" by Nida Çakır Melek and Sydney Miller.
"Since late 2022, U.S. labor productivity has risen notably above its pre-pandemic trend. Industry data suggest the pickup is not yet broad-based: A small set of industries accounts for most gains. While higher AI adoption is associated with faster productivity growth across industries, it explains little of the shift in aggregate contributions, suggesting AI adoption is still spreading."
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Food for thought!
What is the impact of AI on productivity? by Alex Imas.
"Our key finding is that AI substantially reduces wage inequality while raising average wages by 21 percent. AI’s equalizing effect is fully driven by simplification, enabling workers across skill levels to compete for the same jobs."
"...we now have a growing body of micro studies showing real productivity gains from generative AI. However, the productivity impact of AI has yet to clearly show up in the aggregate data. This disconnect should not be surprising at this stage given the history of technology adoption. In the case of the previous big tech shock (information technology), Robert Solow famously observed in 1987 that “you can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” It is likely that the same dynamics are showing up with AI, at least for now."
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Food for thought!
"Task-Specific Technical Change and Comparative Advantage" by Lukas Althoff and Hugo Reichardt.
"Our key finding is that AI substantially reduces wage inequality while raising average wages by 21 percent. AI’s equalizing effect is fully driven by simplification, enabling workers across skill levels to compete for the same jobs."
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Highly relevant!
"How to AI-proof your job: The data suggests soft skills more than quantitative competency equal success in a rapidly changing labour market" by John Burn-Murdoch.
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Super interesting food for thought!
"AI Changed Work Forever in 2025" by Erik Brynjolfsson.
"...many workers will become what I call Chief Question Officers (CQO). In the coming years, a CQO’s primary job will be to possess the judgment to know what to ask, why it matters, and how to evaluate if the AI has actually succeeded. We will be the architects; the AI will be the builders."
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Swiss AI Jobs Report 2025 (Florian Bär, Marc Bravin, Sita Mazumder, and Donnacha Daly).
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Super interesting!
"The Labor Market Effects of Generative Artificial Intelligence" by Jonathan S. Hartley, Filip Jolevski, Vitor Melo, and Brendan Moore.
"In this paper we develop a new survey analyzing Generative AI use in the labor market to assist in measuring the economic effects of Generative AI. We find, consistent with other surveys that Generative AI tools like large language models (LLMs) are most commonly used in the labor force by younger individuals, more highly educated individuals, higher income individuals, and those in particular industries such as customer service, marketing and information technology."
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Which Economic Tasks are Performed with AI? Evidence from Millions of Claude Conversations by a team from Anthropic
“We also analyze how AI is being used for tasks, finding 57% of usage suggests augmentation of human capabilities (e.g., learning or iterating on an output) while 43% suggests automation (e.g., fulfilling a request with minimal human involvement). While our data and methods face important limitations and only paint a picture of AI usage on a single platform, they provide an automated, granular approach for tracking AI’s evolving role in the economy»
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Great news!
The Artificial Intelligence Index Report 2025 has been published.
"The AI Index offers one of the most comprehensive, data-driven views of artificial intelligence."
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In einer Studie von Jeremias Klaeui1 und Michael Siegenthaler des KOF Instituts an der ETH Zürich zeigen sich zumindest vorübergehend deutliche Effekte von Künstlicher Intelligenz auf die Arbeitsmarktsituation in exponierten Berufen:
„Nach der Einführung generativer KI entwickelte sich die Arbeitsmarktsituation in Berufen mit hoher KI-Betroffenheit deutlich weniger erfreulich als in Berufen mit geringer Betroffenheit. So stieg die Zahl der arbeitslosen Stellensuchenden gemäss Registerdaten der Arbeitslosenversicherung in stark exponierten Berufen um bis zu 27 % stärker als in weniger exponierten Berufen.“
Kläui, J. und M. Siegenthaler (2025): „KI und der Schweizer Arbeitsmarkt: Erste Evidenz zu Auswirkungen auf Arbeitslosigkeit und Stellenausschreibungen“, KOF Studien Nr. 186, 10 / 2025:
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The 2025 European Deep Tech Report by Lakestar, Walden Catalyst and Dealroom
“The report aims to align Europe's definition of Deep Tech, examine the characteristics of the European ecosystem, dive deep into key areas of Deep Tech, and lay out ways it can enhance its global competitiveness.”
“The report identifies a set of major Deep Tech domains that are poised to drive the next era of innovation – and with it, influence global power dynamics. These high-growth areas include advances in artificial intelligence, computing hardware, space and defense tech, robotics, biotechnology, and energy.”
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Interessante Artikel in der Zeitschrift «Die Volkswirtschaft» zu den ökonomischen Auswirkungen von Künstlicher Intelligenz.
Künstliche Intelligenz: Was bringst Du uns?
«Überbewertet – oder holt uns künstliche Intelligenz den Himmel auf die Erde? Experten sind sich uneinig, die Politik auch. Klar ist: Die Schweiz spielt in der KI-Forschung weltweit ganz vorne mit.»
