Future Ready Leadership With Jacob Morgan Boomers Aren't Leaving, AI Is Creating Jobs, and No One Can Find Electricians
Jan 16, 2026
The discussion dives into why Boomers are staying in the workforce longer while Gen Z faces challenges entering it. AI is reshaping the labor market, particularly in construction, but there's a real shortage of skilled trades like electricians and plumbers. Surprisingly, AI has already created over a million new jobs globally, though access to these roles is uneven. Insights reveal that firms deploying AI agents are altering the value equation in knowledge work, exposing the weaknesses in our talent pipelines.
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A Traffic Jam In Talent Pipelines
- The labor market is shifting from a conveyor belt to a traffic jam as Boomers delay retirement and entry-level roles vanish.
- Jacob Morgan warns that this creates a future leadership deficit if early-career ramps aren't rebuilt and funded.
Treat Early-Career Development As Infrastructure
- Treat early-career development as critical infrastructure and fund it centrally rather than leaving it to managers.
- Measure, own, and resource ramp programs to avoid an empty leadership bench in 3–7 years.
AI Requires Massive Physical Build-Outs
- AI's impact spans the physical economy: data centers, grid upgrades, and industrial construction are core to AI expansion.
- BlackRock warns labor, not capital, could be the constraint in a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure surge.
