A study by Fedea and BBVA Research concludes that occupations with the highest exposure to artificial intelligence have increased employment above the average since 2022, with no direct relation to job destruction.
Occupations with the highest exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) have recorded employment growth exceeding the Spanish average since 2022, according to a study by the Foundation for Applied Economic Studies (Fedea) and BBVA Research, which refutes a direct relationship between the degree of exposure to this technology and job decline. The research, presented at a press conference, indicates that the most exposed sectors, such as technology, finance, and insurance, are driving the labour market.
The report, advanced by noticiastrabajo.es, indicates that occupations where AI is employed account for 30% of the total in Spain. Educational level marks differences: over 40% of workers with higher education hold highly exposed positions, compared to 15% of those with secondary or primary education. By age, the group aged 25 to 34 years has the highest exposure (35%), while young people aged 16 to 24 record the lowest levels.
By autonomous communities, Madrid leads in exposure with 40%, followed by Catalonia. The lowest values are found in Murcia and Extremadura. The employed population of foreign nationality also shows higher exposure: 40% in low-exposure occupations and 20% in high-exposure ones, compared to one-third of Spanish workers in highly exposed positions.
“No displacement of employment due to artificial intelligence is observed, but studies are emerging in the United States and the United Kingdom showing that there is an effect among young entrants in expressly exposed occupations,” explained Fedea associate researcher, Florentino Felgueroso.
The head of economic analysis at BBVA Research, Rafael Domenech, noted that the study serves to “assert” that AI can have a “clearly positive” impact by freeing up time from lower value-added tasks. “The more exposure, the better to be more productive and see real wages increase. Having less exposure does not necessarily protect us from the effects of AI,” he added.
BBVA researcher Elena Alfaro stated that interpreting companies' use of AI solely for cost savings reflects a “short-sighted” view. “What we see is that tasks that are usually the least interesting for people are being automated, but not entire positions. Some may disappear, but this is different from thinking that the only advantage of AI is cost savings,” she said.
The study also analyses the impact of immigration: in 2025, more than 2.2 million people arrived, the highest figure recorded. Since late 2019, foreign employment has risen by 59.6% to five million people, and this group represents 70% of all employment created in Spain. Young Spaniards are orienting themselves towards occupations with high exposure to AI, while foreign workers are moving towards those with lower exposure.
Experts warn that AI will eliminate occupations, but emphasize that “the worst that could happen” is that others decide which ones. The report was presented at a press conference where it was also noted that migration regularization could add 550,000 new affiliates to Social Security.
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