Study: AI-driven automation pushes older workers out of jobs or to early retirement

A new study from Boston College's Center for Retirement Research finds that workers aged 55 and over in AI‑exposed sectors are leaving their jobs at elevated rates.

• The study identifies three pathways for older workers: full replacement by automation, voluntary exit due to pressure to adopt new tools, or productivity gains that extend careers.
• Economist Jeffrey Sanzenbacher said the most vulnerable groups include college-educated workers in fields such as web design, database engineering, and data science.
• The research drew on population surveys and the Digital Planet AI-exposure indicator from Tufts University.
• Sanzenbacher warned that high-income workers may face both AI-driven job displacement and potential reductions in Social Security benefits, increasing pressure to remain employed longer.