Generative AI is already reshaping the U.S. economy, but new research shows its impact on workers may not be evenly spread. Using a new AI jobs transition framework to identify who is most exposed to AI’s risks and benefits, researchers found:

• Jobs with lower education requirements (high school or some college) are most at risk. Lower- to middle-wage roles requiring less education, such as customer service representatives and administrative assistants, face a higher risk of automation. Jobs expected to grow with AI are mostly higher-wage and typically require a bachelor’s degree.
• Women, Black, and Hispanic workers are less likely to benefit from AI-driven growth. Women are more than twice as likely as men to hold jobs at higher risk of automation.

In our region, the share of at-risk jobs is similar to the nation’s, but remote and smaller metros tend to have fewer jobs projected to grow with AI.

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Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (PPC), in partnership with the Thriving PA campaign, released a new data brief, Pennsylvania’s Infant Toddler Early Intervention System: Data, Gaps, and Policy Opportunities, that highlights the current landscape of Infant Toddler EI statewide. The report examines several data points, including expenditures; demographics of children served by the program; referrals and eligibility; service timelines; and workforce information from FY 2021-22 through FY 2024-25 at both the state and county/joinder level. Partnering with OCDEL to collect the data provides a foundation for understanding how the Infant Toddler EI system operates in Pennsylvania and helps us identify service gaps, barriers to access, and opportunities for improvement to better serve the needs of children and families.

As we enter the FY 2027-28 budget cycle, the Early Intervention workgroup of Thriving PA is seeking to offset the $5.2 million reduction included in this year’s final state budget. As part of our advocacy, we are underscoring the need for Infant Toddler EI to provide adequate rates for providers as well as funding to support outreach, referral, and early identification efforts to connect children and families with the program. Continued investments in the Infant Toddler EI system are essential to stabilize the workforce and allow more children to be identified and served through the program. Providing EI services early on allows children the best opportunity to thrive and need less costly interventions as they progress through school.

PPC plans to to obtain and analyze Infant Toddler EI data. We plan to release a data dashboard with both statewide and county-level data, as well as a more comprehensive system report in 2027.

From The Keystone and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

The number of Pennsylvanians in advanced years is projected to jump by 43% in the next decade, a period when the commonwealth’s population overall is expected to contract, according to a new report by state analysts.

These anticipated changes to state demographics reflect declining birth rates and the fact Baby Boomers are starting to enter their 80s, said analysts with the Independent Fiscal Office, a nonpartisan agency that provides guidance to lawmakers.

The report published in October notes that, by 2035, the population of working-age adults is expected to shrink, while the number of older residents who rely on care and support will expand. Policymakers have predicted this shift could strain the state services and stretch healthcare systems that are already suffering from workforce shortages.

What’s the big picture for Pennsylvania’s population?

Overall, the analysts are predicting the Keystone State’s population will hold relatively flat in the next several years, contracting by just 0.1% to about 13 million residents by 2030. They’re expecting it to drop to about 12.9 million in the subsequent five years.

The commonwealth’s population of children and teenagers will fall by nearly 8% in the coming decade, and the number of adults aged 20 to 64 will contract by about 2%, the analysts predict.

Retirees aged 65 to 79 are expected to increase in number over the next five years, but their population will fall by 2035 as the Baby Boomer cohort transitions into their 80s, according to these estimates.

The population of advanced age adults will see the biggest growth in the next decade, increasing by more than 42% from about 668,000 to 953,000, the report predicts.

How are demographic changes different across Pennsylvania?

From 2020 to 2025, the analysts reported, population decreases were most dramatic in parts of rural Pennsylvania. Fayette and Cambria counties lost 4.3% and 3.2% of their populations respectively in that period.

Philadelphia and Allegheny counties have also been losing residents, albeit at slower rates, according to the report.

But some parts of the state have been experiencing growth, particularly suburban communities in eastern Pennsylvania. Pike, Cumberland and Chester counties all saw their populations climb by more than 4% in the past five years, the analysts noted.