The CEO AI Paradox, Job Hugging, and Why Electricians Are the Hottest Job in Tech
March 3, 2026: The hype around AI and jobs is loud. The actual data tells a more nuanced story. This week, Stanford economist Nick Bloom released the most rigorous study yet on AI's impact on employment and productivity — surveying nearly 6,000 executives across four countries with the Federal Reserve and Bank of England. The findings are striking: 90% of firms report zero employment impact from AI so far, yet US executives are planning to cut over two million jobs in the next three years based on gains that haven't materialized yet. We break down what that gap means for workers, leaders, and organizations. Plus: CNN pushes back on the viral AI doom-loop narrative — and why "don't freak out yet" isn't the same as "you're fine." Why 43% of workers want to change careers but almost none will — and the psychological trap behind what researchers are calling "job hugging." And the central irony of the AI economy: the companies spending trillions to automate knowledge work can't build the infrastructure to run it because there aren't enough electricians — and why Gen Z is starting to pay attention. Listen to the full episode here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 00:00 - Intro: Today's 4 Big Future of Work Stories 02:17 - Story 1: CEOs Are Betting Big on AI While Barely Using It 04:40 - The Massive Gap Between AI Expectations & Data 06:57 - Real ROI vs. The Knowledge Work AI Illusion 09:20 - The Disconnect Between Bosses and Workers on Job Cuts 11:47 - Story 2: Pushing Back on the Viral AI "Doom Loop" 14:10 - How to Actually Reverse Engineer an AI Jobs Apocalypse 16:33 - The ATM Paradox & Historical Tech Disruption 19:00 - The Danger of Full Automation (Mobile Banking vs. ATMs) 21:27 - Why Entry-Level Knowledge Workers Are Hit Hardest 23:52 - Story 3: "Job Hugging" & Why Workers Won't Quit 26:17 - The Psychological "Scarring" of AI Job Anxiety 28:40 - How Organizations Can Safely Upskill Their Workforce 31:01 - Story 4: Why Electricians Are the Hottest Job in Tech 33:29 - Positional Scarcity & The Return of the Skilled Trades 35:52 - Final Thoughts: The Skills That Survive the AI Transition Newsletter deep dive on AI jobs and the future of work: futureofworknewsletter.com -------------------------------------------------- If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe! It helps the channel grow and allows us to make more. Thank you! / @jacobmorgan ---------------------------------------------- Jacob Morgan is a professionally trained futurist, keynote speaker, and international best-selling author of 6 books on leadership, employee experience, and the future of work. He’s also the founder of Future of Work Leaders, a global community for top CHROs and CPOs shaping the future of work and employee experience. Jacob has worked with, advised, and studied over 2,000 leaders, and his work has been endorsed by CEOs of Unilever, Cisco, Best Buy, Mastercard, Audi, Nestlé, The Ritz-Carlton, Yum! Brands, and more. Jacob’s Latest Book: The 8 Laws of Employee Experience: How to Build a Future-Ready Organization https://8exlaws.com/ Website: https://thefutureorganization.com/ Substack: https://greatleadership.substack.com/ Instagram: / jacobmorgan8 X (Twitter): https://x.com/jacobm LinkedIn: / jacobmorgan8 Podcast: https://thefutureorganization.com/fut... All books: https://thefutureorganization.com/books/