Rishad Tobaccowala argues that while the number of traditional jobs is shrinking, the amount of meaningful work is exploding
As the dust of the 2020s settles, the world of work is undergoing a seismic shift, one that is as thrilling as it is unsettling.
The lines between jobs and work are blurring, reshaping the very fabric of the modern economy.
Marketers, perhaps more than most, must confront this reality head-on or risk being left behind in the corporate rubble of outdated models.
Why Jobs are Dying but Work is Thriving
Rishad Tobaccowala, in his recent reflections published on May 18, 2025 on the future of work, captures this shift brilliantly.
He argues that while the number of traditional jobs is shrinking, the amount of meaningful work is exploding.
This paradox arises because ‘jobs’ are a narrow, formal construct tied to payroll slots and headcounts, while ‘work’ encompasses everything that adds value – from gig tasks to open-source coding and content creation.
The primary culprits in this transformation are clear:
AI and Automation: Companies can now scale output without scaling headcount. From McKinsey’s use of AI to scope projects in mere hours to insurers replacing entire back-office teams with bots, the examples are multiplying.
Global Freelancing: Over 70 million Americans are freelancing today, a number set to surpass 86 million by 2027. These are workers without ‘jobs,’ but they’re undeniably working – creating, consulting, coding, and curating.
Platform Economies: The creator economy, estimated at US$250 billion, thrives outside the traditional employment system, as millions earn through YouTube, Substack, and Shopify. These entrepreneurs don’t fit neatly into HR spreadsheets, but they are the pulse of the new economy.
Solo Ventures and Side Hustles: The surge in single-person businesses and side hustles signals a broader shift towards independent, self-directed work. These one-person LLCs might not show up in payroll stats, but they are the future of economic dynamism.
The Invisible Workforce: Family caregivers, volunteer crisis mappers, and community moderators provide critical, uncounted labour, collectively valued at hundreds of billions of dollars.
The Marketer’s Challenge – and Opportunity
For marketers, this isn’t just a passing trend – it’s a revolution in the way work, value, and influence are created.
As companies like Shopify openly declare that future headcount will depend on tasks that AI simply cannot do, marketing leaders must rethink their own roles and the structures around them.
It’s time to shed the legacy mindset of roles and titles and embrace a more fluid, outcomes-focused approach to work.
This means:
Rethinking Talent Pipelines: As work becomes borderless, the competition for creative talent will intensify. Smart marketers will tap into global networks, leveraging the best minds regardless of geography.
Mastering AI Collaboration: AI is not just a tool but a partner. From campaign planning to real-time audience engagement, the marketers who thrive will be those who can harness AI without losing the human touch.
Building Personal Brands: In a world where individuals increasingly work for themselves, the personal brand is as critical as the corporate one. Marketers should invest in their own digital personas as much as their company’s reputation.
Creating Flexible Workflows: With teams that could include full-timers, freelancers, and bots, rigid, hierarchical structures must give way to agile, project-based approaches.
Championing Lifelong Learning: As Tobaccowala warns, the companies and leaders that fail to invest in continuous upskilling will find themselves irrelevant in a landscape that demands constant evolution.
Embracing the New Work Reality
For marketers, this moment is both a challenge and an opportunity.
It’s a chance to redefine the future of their craft and the industry as a whole.
Those who grasp the enormity of this shift will not only survive but thrive in the coming era of work without jobs.
It’s time to rethink work, not just jobs.
Source: “The Decline of Jobs. The Rise of Work,” Rishad Tobaccowala, Edition 249, May 18, 2025
The APPIES is an annual event that presents a rare opportunity for creative, media, digital and marketing agencies or brands to present their best campaigns to the industry.
This is the only event where Live Presentations meets Live Judging.
Similar to TED Talks, The APPIES is the chance for great presenters with outstanding work to show it off to some of the industry’s most important industry leaders.
This year’s winners will receive Gold, Silver or Bronze trophies for 21 categories, and 6 special Best of Best categories (red trophies) that require no submissions!
Campaign entries must have run between June 2024 to May 2025
