GenAI may affect 80 mn ASEAN workers, says ILO

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) may affect the working lives of nearly 80 million people across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but large-scale job disruption is not yet evident, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said. For apparel and textile manufacturers, exporters and sourcing teams in the region, the findings point to a workforce-planning issue rather than an immediate labour shock.According to ILO estimates for 2025, 22.9 per cent of total employment in ASEAN, equal to nearly 80 million workers, is in occupations with more than minimal potential exposure to GenAI.

The ILO estimates nearly 80 million ASEAN workers, or 22.9 per cent of employment, are in occupations with more than minimal exposure to generative AI, though only 3.3 per cent face the highest exposure.
The report found no widespread job disruption yet, urging governments and businesses to prioritise upskilling, social protection and human-centred AI adoption, particularly for women and SMEs.

The ILO said only 3.3 per cent of the workforce, or 11.7 million workers, is in occupations in the highest exposure category, while around 67 per cent of employment remains in occupations with no identified GenAI exposure.

Among the nine ASEAN countries with available data, Singapore has the highest share of workers with more than minimal GenAI exposure at 42.2 per cent of total employment, followed by the Philippines at 28.1 per cent, Indonesia at 21.7 per cent, Vietnam at 20.8 per cent and Thailand at 20.6 per cent. The study also found that women are more than twice as likely as men to work in highly exposed occupations, reflecting their concentration in clerical, administrative and professional roles.

The International Labour Organization said its report, Generative AI and labour markets in ASEAN: Significant exposure, limited disruption, uneven preparedness, examines occupational exposure and early adoption patterns across the 11 ASEAN countries. Christian Viegelahn, economist and lead author of the report, ILO said: “Harnessing the benefits of GenAI requires more than access to technology. Productivity gains depend on investments in human capital and social protection. Ultimately, future labour market outcomes will depend less on exposure alone than on the policy choices to build the preparedness and resilience of workers, enterprises and institutions.”

The report identified uneven preparedness across ASEAN, with adoption still at an early stage and concentrated in technology-intensive jobs. It calls for human-centred governance, wider upskilling and reskilling with focus on women and youth, support for micro, small and medium enterprises, and stronger knowledge exchange among member states.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk