McKinsey: Automation could absorb half of U.S. work hours by 2035. The bigger challenge is skills

fortune.com · 2026-10-12

Roughly 11 million workers may need new occupations, and many lack the skills or credentials to get there.

TickrTrends take: KKR, as a major investor in portfolio companies across multiple sectors, stands to benefit from automation trends that could reshape labor economics and operational efficiency through 2035. The McKinsey analysis highlighting skills gaps as a central challenge suggests that private equity firms like KKR may find both opportunities and risks in companies requiring workforce transformation and retraining investments. Given TickrTrends' current undervalued assessment of KKR, investors should monitor how the firm's portfolio companies navigate automation adoption and whether management can create value through operational improvements tied to technological transition.

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