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Survey finds FOBO anxiety over job obsolescence among US workers
The survey of more than 15,000 U.S. adults finds 58% fear becoming professionally obsolete, with rates far higher in technology and financial services.
A new ETS Human Progress Report released Aug. 14, backed by a Harris Poll of more than 15,000 U.S. adults, says more than half of workers are afraid of becoming professionally obsolete, a feeling researchers have labeled FOBO, short for fear of becoming obsolete.
According to the report, 58% of workers report FOBO, rising to 74% among technology workers and 73% in financial services. Researchers cited employer training that has not kept pace with what workers say they need to reskill or upskill.
The survey also found that 85% of respondents say upskilling is no longer optional, but only 71% report actually doing it, compared with a global average of 77%. Researchers say the gap reflects concerns about job change pressures, including the pace of technology and AI, and uncertainty about what new skills should be.
ETS Human Progress Report findings point to practical barriers as well, with 68% of workers saying the cost of upskilling is difficult to cover and 63% struggling to find the time. The outlet reports that faculty quoted in the study linked the anxiety to workplace disruption and training shortfalls.