Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Zety.com.
AI isn’t just changing the workplace; it’s reshaping how parents think about their kids’ careers. Zety surveyed more than 900 U.S. parents of children ages 12-24 for its AI Readiness Gap: 2025 Parent Outlook Report.
The data found that nearly all parents are growing anxious about AI’s impact on future careers. 97% of parents fear their child’s career could be disrupted or replaced within the next decade.
At the same time, one in three parents (36%) aren’t confident that schools are preparing students for AI-era jobs. With that landscape, 71% of parents say they are very involved, or plan to be, in their child’s career choices.
Parental Anxiety Rises Over AI and Jobs
Parents are growing anxious about how AI will affect their children’s professional lives. 97% worry their child’s career could be disrupted or replaced by AI within the next decade, highlighting concerns about generational downturn, school readiness, and parental guidance:
- 54% of parents are very worried their child will have fewer career opportunities than their generation.
- 1 in 3 parents (36%) believe school isn’t teaching kids about AI-era jobs.
- 71% of parents are—or plan to be—very involved in their child’s career choices, providing active guidance.
What this means: The intensity of parental concern suggests families may play a more active role in shaping career paths than ever before, potentially influencing education and early work experiences.
Parents’ Top Career Concerns for Their Kids
AI’s impact is causing parents to closely monitor potential obstacles their children may encounter in their careers. Their biggest concerns include:
- Fewer job openings overall: 59%
- Jobs becoming unstable or short-term: 57%
- Low pay or reduced earning potential: 56%
- Needing to constantly retrain/reskill: 34%
- Struggling to adapt to new tools and technologies: 20%
What this means: Worries about job scarcity and instability indicate that parents are increasingly focused on long-term resilience and adaptability as key factors in career success.
Kids’ Career Interests in an AI World
As AI transforms work, parents reveal which careers their children are most interested in today:
- Skilled trades (electrician, plumber, etc.): 29%
- Corporate or office jobs: 28%
- Government or public service jobs: 23%
- Entrepreneurship or freelance work: 10%
- Creative or artistic careers (e.g., design, writing, performing arts): 8%
- Social media or digital content creation: 2%
What this means: The concentration in trades, government, and corporate roles points to a preference for occupations perceived as reliable, hands-on, or structured, despite new opportunities in emerging industries.
What Parents See as Essential Skills
Nearly all parents (97%) believe their child will need to reskill or upskill multiple times during their career because of AI, and 96% worry they may struggle to adapt to these types of rapid changes in the job market.
To prepare their children for an AI-driven workforce, parents say the following skills will be most critical for success:
- Technical skills (coding, AI, data analysis): 52%
- Soft skills (communication, adaptability, creativity): 33%
- Entrepreneurial skills (innovation, risk-taking): 12%
- Critical thinking and problem-solving: 3%
What this means: The skills parents prioritize reflect an awareness that future work will be unpredictable, rewarding those who can blend practical expertise with strategic thinking.
Methodology
The findings presented are based on a nationally representative survey conducted by Zety in August 2025. The survey collected responses from 941 parents across the U.S., exploring their perspectives on AI, career readiness, and the skills their children will need to succeed in the future workforce.
Participants answered a mix of yes/no questions, scale-based items to measure agreement or frequency, and multiple-choice questions allowing selection of multiple responses.
To qualify, respondents were required to be parents or legal guardians of children between the ages of 12 and 24. Those with children aged 12-17 reported on kids still in school and exploring career possibilities, whereas those with children aged 18-24 reported on kids in higher education, vocational programs, or starting their careers.
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