A new report from Forrester, Agency AI-Powered Workforce Forecast, 2030 (US), reveals that, by 2030, US advertising agencies and related services companies will lose 32,000 jobs to automation — 7.5% of the total agency workforce. While creative problem-solving roles will thrive, process-oriented roles will shrink due to the influence of automation, machine learning, and generative AI.

Additional key findings from this report include:

  • By 2030, generative AI will account for nearly a third of automated advertising jobs. According to Forrester, 56% percent of US B2C CMOs have already used generative AI in marketing and another 40% are exploring use cases to do so. Agency jobs most at risk from generative AI include clerical roles (28% of job losses), sales and connected roles (22% of job losses), and market research and connected roles (18% of job losses). In the US, the agency share of jobs in management, public relations, creative roles, market research, software (including web and digital interface designers), and data science will grow, while jobs for clerical, sales, finance, administrative and labor-intensive roles will decline.
  • Generative AI will increase the productivity of higher-wage skillsets in US agencies. Job roles like editors and writers that have a higher generative AI influence are harder to automate. These roles are more likely to utilize generative AI technology to automate mundane tasks and increase their productivity. As a result, Forrester predicts a pending inversion of agency workforce composition, from less costly junior talent matched to senior managers to high-paid creator skillsets paired with generative AI assistants.
  • The more creative and “original” the agency role, the less likely it will be replaced by automation. Forrester finds that originality is the most significant factor that lowers a job’s automation potential. When “intelligent creativity,” a marketing approach that combines creative problem-solving with AI technologies, is deployed, agencies can help make marketing smarter, develop campaigns faster, and make creators more valuable.

To access this research or arrange an interview with a Forrester analyst, please contact press@forrester.com.