Independent analyses now suggest the world is heading for the fastest and most widespread labour shock in history. The IMF warns of “structural unemployment,” McKinsey forecasts automation of up to 30% of work hours by 2026, and Goldman Sachs estimates 300 million jobs could be exposed worldwide.
In You Are All Fired By an Algorithm: The Coalescence – A World Without Jobs, author Louis Halpern argues these projections underestimate both the scale and speed of disruption.
At Amazon’s Spartanburg facility, 350 robots replaced 3,000 workers in just 18 months. Klarna’s customer service chatbot eliminated the equivalent of 700 agents in a single month, saving £40 million annually. JPMorgan Chase’s AI already performs 360,000 hours of legal and loan work once handled by humans.
“This is the first time in history that human labour faces simultaneous disruption across all sectors,” says Halpern. “We are not witnessing another industrial transition — we are confronting a potential collapse of work itself.”
The Coalescence Effect Halpern calls this phenomenon “the coalescence”: the simultaneous displacement of workers across all industries. Unlike past revolutions that reshaped one sector at a time, AI is advancing across finance, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing at once. The result is a catastrophic multiplier effect: as jobs vanish, consumer spending collapses, businesses fail, and unemployment spirals further.
Safety Nets Under Strain Traditional unemployment systems cannot withstand this scale of disruption. During COVID-19, the UK’s Universal Credit system nearly collapsed when claims spiked to 2.2 million in a single month. AI threatens job losses of similar magnitude — but permanently.
Solutions Exist — But the Window Is Closing The book outlines a seven-pillar framework for survival and renewal, including Universal Basic Income, AI profit taxation, and emergency relief funds. Halpern argues that AI-generated wealth can fund this transition — but only if policymakers act decisively.
“We face a choice,” Halpern concludes. “Fund the transition, or face collapse. The very technology that threatens to destroy our economy can, if harnessed, become the engine of unprecedented prosperity.”
The Book - You Are All Fired By an Algorithm: The Coalescence – A World Without Jobs
By Louis Halpern. Published By Halpern Algorithms Limited
Available now via Amazon and major booksellers.
About the Author Louis Halpern has spent over 25 years at the intersection of technology and business, working with organizations including Nando’s, BBC TVL, and Marks & Spencer. A proud Londoner, he navigates the world with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and dyslexia—differences that have become strengths, enabling him to connect dots others miss. From this unique perspective, Louis sees this inevitable looming economic upheaval and this book will, hopefully, help steer us to a better future.
