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ILO Says GenAI Could Reshape Jobs of 80 Million in ASEAN

July 10, 2026 at 00:39 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Recruiting & HR

The International Labour Organization (ILO) said on July 8, 2026 that generative AI (GenAI) could reshape jobs held by about 80 million people, or 22.9% of total employment, across the ASEAN region, while finding no sign of large-scale job cuts to date. The brief, titled "Generative AI and labour markets in ASEAN: Significant exposure, limited disruption, uneven preparedness," analyzes the region's labour market based on 2025 estimates (ILO announcement).

July 8, 2026 · ILO Regional Brief

AI Could Reshape 80 Million ASEAN Jobs — Yet No Mass Layoffs Have Appeared

Generative AI touches nearly a quarter of the region's workforce, but exposure is turning into productivity gains and complementary roles — not large-scale displacement.

~80M

workers whose jobs could be reshaped by GenAI

22.9%

of total ASEAN employment with minimal or higher exposure

3.3%

in the highest-exposure tier (G4) — about 11.7M people

Exposure varies sharply by country

Share of jobs with minimal or higher GenAI exposure

42.2%

Singapore

28.1%

Philippines

21.7%

Indonesia

20.8%

Vietnam

20.6%

Thailand

Who is most exposed

Exposure concentrates in clerical, administrative and professional work — skewing the impact.

~2×

women are roughly twice as likely as men to hold highly exposed jobs

Weaker for youth

job growth in exposed roles was softer for workers aged 15–24

Adoption gap

technical roles use GenAI more; clerical roles lag despite high exposure

What is happening

No evidence of large-scale layoffs. Employment in highly exposed occupations keeps growing — exposure is showing up as productivity gains and complementary roles. In Philippine BPO, AI tools are widespread yet hiring has risen in some AI-assisted work.

The watch-outs

Outcomes hinge on adoption pace, workplace reorganization, skills and policy. A "preparedness gap" separates Singapore from the rest, and micro, small and medium enterprises face steep barriers that need policy support.

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