When the Headlines Scare Us: AI, Dignity of Work, and Stewardship in Southern Minnesota

I saw the viral “scariest chart of all time” graphic. Did you? The one that lines up the last few years of S&P 500’s surge against the collapse in U.S. job openings? 

I felt what I imagine many of you felt: unsettled, curious, and a little wary of whatever the next headline might mean for our neighbors and parishioners. I take every viral graphic with a grain of salt and then go down my rabbit hole: reading the primary data, comparing reputable analyses, and asking what this all means for work, dignity, and stewardship in our communities. 

If you want the short pastoral framing up front: worry is natural, but Scripture calls us elsewhere. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear… So do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself” (Matthew 6:25–34 NABRE). Faith doesn’t replace prudent planning; it reorients HOW we plan. 

Below I trace what I found in my rabbit hole, what I think it suggests about the future of work, and how we as Catholic stewards can respond in Southern Minnesota. 

 

What the Viral Chart Really Signals (And What it Does Not) 

The chart that’s been circulating shows a striking divergence: stock markets have rallied strongly while job openings have fallen sharply since 2022. The underlying data are real and worth attention: job openings peaked in early 2022 and have since declined by roughly a third, while equity indices tied to AI leaders climbed substantially over the same period. That gap can feel like a moral and economic fracture. 

But there are multiple plausible explanations for divergence beyond a single cause. Monetary tightening, trade and immigration policies, governmental spending and hiring shifts, sectoral shifts in demand, and concentrated gains in a handful of tech firms have all been named by analysts as contributors to the split between corporate valuations and labor market breadth. The chart provokes us to think deeper, a reason to ask better questions, not a final verdict. 

 

Amazon and Automation Today and by 2033 

Corporate adoption of robotics and AI is one tangible part of the shifting work landscape. Recent reporting from major outlets (such as Associated Press, FOX Business & NYT Daily)  has documented two realities at Amazon that matter for our community: 

• Internal strategy documents from the robotics and automation team this fall indicate plans to avoid hiring over half of a million workers with a goal to automate 75% of their operations by 2033. This estimation of impact is based on current technology capability. If technology advances, they could reduce need for human employees further.  

• Amazon publicly reported 14,000 corporate job reductions linked to AI adoption in October 2025, while outsiders believe it may be closer to 30,000 corporate positions cut. 

• Amazon’s own public statements emphasize efficiency gains from generative AI and agents that will change how certain work is done; internal memos cited in reporting suggest both reductions in some categories of hiring and new roles that require different skills. 

 

Local Impact of Automation and What History Tells Us 

Taken together, the Amazon examples show a likely pattern for large businesses rather than a universal rule: large firms with capital and scale can automate routine, repetitive tasks faster than smaller employers. Large firms will likely reduce hiring in many roles while expanding hiring in some more technical, supervisory, or maintenance roles. What’s concerning to me is: 

1. These cuts & adds are coming at different job skill levels 

1. The percentage of job cuts vs job additions is unclear  

1. The timing at which this could be a reality locally is unclear 

For Southern Minnesota, though it is difficult to estimate when, we’ll likely see an impact across warehouses, fulfillment centers (like the Amazon center in Stewartville) as well as among our many manufacturing companies.  

But rather than overreact, we can look at economic history in an attempt to foresee the future. Transformative technologies (electrification, mechanization, and the internet) altered the composition of jobs, often reducing some roles while creating others. Economists and strategists who study AI stress a familiar caveat: AI may automate tasks, but it also augments many jobs and creates roles we don’t yet fully imagine. As one recent synthesis put it, each wave of transformation brings both disruption and opportunity; the likely net effect for employment over time can be positive, but only if workers can access reskilling and transition support. 

What I believe is needed is continued dialogue with local businesses and local educational institutions to ensure our community is prepared for change, and the dignity of workers is upheld. By investing in skill formation, childcare, transportation, and other wraparound supports, the risks of displacement don’t disappear, but they can shrink, and the promise of new, dignified work grows. 

 

Dignity of Work and the Moral Frame from Dilexi Te 

Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation Dilexi Te places the human person at the center of economic life: economic choices must respect the intrinsic worth of workers and avoid reducing people to mere instruments. That moral teaching shapes how Catholic organizations and employers should respond to technological change: 

• Prioritize people over mere efficiency. Technology that raises productivity should not do so by treating workers as disposable. 

• Invest in training and reskilling that preserve dignity and bring new opportunities, rather than leaving people behind. 

• Design workplace transitions with accompaniment, fair severance, and clear pathways to new roles so families and communities aren’t left in the wake of “efficiency” gains. 

Dilexi Te calls the Church to advocate for structures and policies that protect workers’ dignity even while we responsibly adopt useful technologies. 

 

A Call to Action to Protect the Dignity of Work 

This is the local call to stewardship. Southern Minnesota won’t be immune to national shifts, but we have strengths to leverage — resilient communities, committed parishes, community colleges, and employers who care about workers’ dignity. 

If your parish, employer group, or family is asking how to respond, we’d love to have a discussion with you. As we strive to be a beacon of Catholic stewardship in Southern Minnesota, the Catholic Foundation is in exploratory conversations about what the genuine needs are locally and how we can partner with you to prepare for a future that is coming fast.