Key facts
- Administrative assistant and secretary roles are projected to decline, with about 2.1 million employed in 2024, down from 3.5 million in 2004.
- AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot are being adopted by some administrative assistants to automate tasks such as note-taking and meeting preparation.
- A Brookings Institution report highlights that clerical and administrative workers may be more exposed to AI-induced job displacement due to factors like limited savings and narrow skill sets.
- Demand for AI training services for administrative professionals has significantly increased since 2023.
- Employers are increasingly seeking administrative staff who can genuinely integrate AI into their daily work.
Administrative assistants and secretaries are facing a shrinking job market, exacerbated by the increasing capabilities of AI tools. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates a significant decline in these roles over the past two decades, with projections suggesting a continued decrease, except for medical secretaries.
Despite the grim outlook, some administrative professionals are proactively adopting AI to enhance their productivity and adapt to the evolving demands of their roles. Deanna Danger, an executive assistant, shared how she uses AI for tasks like note-taking and meeting summaries, allowing her to focus more on active participation in meetings. This shift has dramatically reduced the time spent on these tasks.
A report from the Brookings Institution suggests that clerical and administrative workers may be particularly vulnerable to AI-driven job displacement due to factors such as limited savings, advanced age, and narrow skill sets. The demographic data shows a higher proportion of older workers in these roles compared to the general workforce, with lower median pay.
However, the narrative of displacement is not universal. Professional groups and AI training providers are seeing increased engagement. Fiona Young, founder of Carve, has observed a substantial rise in demand for AI training services for administrative professionals, with employers seeking staff who can integrate AI into their daily work. Similarly, Oana Manolache, CEO of Sequel.io, has adopted a policy of requiring AI use among her staff, though she acknowledges that AI cannot replace the nuanced human skills of an executive assistant.
Manolache's own executive assistant, Stephanie Martinez, leverages AI to offload routine tasks, enabling her to concentrate on the 'human work' of building team connectivity, making critical judgment calls, and managing stakeholder relationships. This highlights a potential evolution of the administrative role, where AI handles transactional tasks, and human assistants focus on higher-level interpersonal and strategic functions.