U.S. customer service job postings are now about 10% below pre-pandemic levels, even as overall job postings remain above that baseline, according to Indeed Hiring Lab data cited by Forrester.
Forrester ties the drop to AI taking over routine contact-center work and forecasts customer service jobs will be cut in half by 2030, with retail and administrative support services facing the biggest losses.
Lower-skill roles are shrinking first because common inquiries such as order status and exchanges are easier to automate, while pay for frontline representatives has stagnated in Forrester's analysis.
New roles are still emerging around managing AI and human agents, building and monitoring AI frameworks, and extracting insights from customer interactions.
Forrester says AI is decoupling service volume from headcount growth, but uneven data quality, weak back-office integration and variable processes could slow automation at some contact centers.
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As AI creates high-skill jobs, what is the real path for millions of displaced frontline service workers?
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U.S. Labor Market 2025-2026: AI Drives Job Redesign, Not Mass Unemployment
Overview
The U.S. labor market in 2025-2026 is stabilizing, with steady job growth and a consistent unemployment rate, even as artificial intelligence begins to reshape work. While the economy added 172,000 nonfarm payroll jobs and private employers contributed 98,000 more, the ratio of job openings to unemployed workers has returned to normal levels. Workers who stayed in their roles saw notable pay increases, especially in finance. Despite these positive trends, AI is quietly transforming job functions, particularly in customer service, by automating routine tasks and shifting human roles toward more specialized and strategic work.