Amid the prospect that artificial intelligence (AI) will quickly replace people's jobs, U.S. compani.. - 매일경제

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Amid the prospect that artificial intelligence (AI) will quickly replace people's jobs, U.S. companies that have reduced new hiring over the past year are again seeking to secure manpower.

As there is a widespread perception that AI needs more talent to use AI rather than completely replacing people, there is also a change in the recruitment market.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 26th (local time) that several companies, from railroad giant CSX to Google parent Alphabet, are rehiring their workforce to achieve their growth goals or secure new technologies.

Christine Martin Anderson, COO of Booz Allen Hamilton, which provides consulting and high-tech services to the U.S. government and public sectors, said in a letter to investors on the 24th, "The number of employees is a little short right now. We need to speed up the recruitment. We are solving this problem," he said.

The company cut thousands of employees last year as the Donald Trump administration drastically cut contracts and demanded cost cuts. As of the end of June, the number of employees was about 30,900, down 7.5% from a year ago.

However, it is analyzed that the demand for national security, especially personnel requiring security permits, is steadily increasing.

Over the past 18 months, large U.S. companies have been reducing their white-collar workforce, but now the number of layoffs is decreasing. In fact, 187,000 new unemployment claims were filed last week (July 12-18), the lowest level in 57 years since 1969.

CEO Franklin said, "Just because we have coding AI doesn't mean we don't hire engineers," adding that companies using AI tools also need related employees.

Many of Ratice's thousands of clients have now resumed hiring several positions, particularly new employees.

CEO Franklin said, "There's a huge demand for manpower. There is a widespread perception that human resources with AI-specific technologies are needed. Innovative and unconventional new personnel are needed. They also have high cost-effectiveness because of their short experience," he explained.

Tool maker SnapOn plans to add more staff to expand its business, while rail carrier CSX plans to slightly increase its train and locomotive maintenance division's workforce over the next few months.

However, only a few companies have yet announced large-scale recruitment plans, and the required manpower is concentrated in certain types.

Alphabet Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi said he plans continued hiring in areas such as AI and cloud computing.

Software company ServiceNow plans to hire more on-site salespeople for growth in cybersecurity.

In addition, there are voices of concern that there are many uncertainties due to the development of AI. MIT Professor Paul Osterman, author of the book Disposable Workers on Employment Change, warned, "No one knows if we will need more or less manpower."