What happened
- LinkedIn’s Economic Graph research institute published its report on the global labor market in January 2026.
- It counts more than 1.3 million jobs linked to artificial intelligence created over two years. More than 600,000 of them are in data centers: technicians, integrators, data annotators.
- The same report puts global hiring about 20% below pre-pandemic levels and attributes the drop to economic uncertainty and the monetary cycle.
- Just over half of respondents, 52%, say they’ll look for a job in 2026. About 80% say they don’t feel prepared to do so.
Why it matters
- The two main figures point in different directions and coexist in the same document. The creation of AI-related jobs is real and concentrated in infrastructure; the market in which they appear is still contracted. One figure doesn’t cancel the other, and using only the first to justify a headcount decision leaves out the context in which that decision is made.
- The report’s operational conclusion is to reskill teams. LinkedIn runs a recruiting business and a course platform. The data is well collected and the commercial interest also exists; it’s worth checking it against sources that don’t sell the solution.
- For anyone planning headcount in Chile, the breakdown matters more than the headline. If most of the growth is in data center operations, demand is located where there’s physical infrastructure, not where there are offices.
- The gap between the 52% who will look for a job and the 80% who don’t feel prepared describes expectation, not installed capacity. It’s a perception survey, not a measurement of skills.
The number
20%. How far global hiring remains below pre-pandemic levels, according to the same report that counts 1.3 million new AI jobs.
Context
LinkedIn builds these reports with data self-reported by its members (job titles, skills added to their profiles) combined with surveys. Coverage is uneven by country and overrepresents office work in developed economies.
What’s next
- No timelines announced. LinkedIn hasn’t committed to a date for the next edition of the report.
Bottom line
A later survey of 5,000 knowledge workers found that 68% of AI users save four hours a week or less. The jobs the technology creates are counted in millions. The time it frees up, in hours.