One in ten Dutch workers fears AI will cost them their job, according to a survey released Wednesday by OpenUp, a psychologist-run platform. The findings, which echo growing alarm across Europe, come as trade unions report thousands of redundancies already linked to automation. “I sometimes lie awake wondering if I can keep up,” one respondent told RTL Nieuws. “AI is replacing people on the shop floor, and the pace is accelerating.”
The OpenUp poll, conducted in May 2026, found 10.3 per cent of Dutch employees now regard AI-driven job loss as a “high risk” within two years. Another 22 per cent see it as a “medium risk,” pushing the combined total to 32.3 per cent—roughly one in three workers. Trade unions have logged 4,200 AI-related dismissals since January, with sectors such as logistics, customer service and accounting hardest hit. “We’re seeing entire teams replaced by chatbots and robotic process automation,” said a spokeswoman for FNV, the Netherlands’ largest trade union.
The anxiety is not confined to the Netherlands. In Estonia, the Education and Youth Board (Harno) is spending nearly €1 million to reach vulnerable youth through TikTok, Roblox and forum platforms, offering counselling and career guidance before automation deepens their exclusion. Meanwhile, in Ireland, graduates are being advised to curate their social media presence so recruiters can hear their authentic voice amid AI-generated résumés. “Employers want to see the real person,” noted an Irish Times careers column published Tuesday .
The psychological toll is already visible. Thomas, a 24-year-old Oxford graduate, described his weekly trip to Iceland supermarket as “humiliating,” where he buys seven £1 frozen meals to avoid cooking. “Half the time I don’t even eat them,” he told The Guardian. “You just sit there and think: I don’t want it again.” His story is part of a broader cohort: nearly one million 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are not in employment, education or training, a figure that has risen steadily since 2024.
Industry analysts argue the solution lies in reskilling rather than resistance. Smartee, a medical-technology firm, used the SEdO Mallorca 2026 trade fair to showcase local manufacturing and paediatric solutions, positioning itself as a creator of new roles rather than a destroyer. “We’re training technicians to work alongside AI, not against it,” said a company spokesperson. Yet with AI adoption accelerating—especially in accounting and legal services—policy makers are under pressure to expand safety nets. The European Commission is expected to propose a continent-wide “right to reskill” fund when it meets next month. For now, the Dutch survey offers a stark snapshot: one in ten workers already fears the algorithm.
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