Automation, AI, and the digital economy are transforming the job market faster than policymakers and workers can adapt. As machines become smarter and more capable, tasks once reserved for humans — from driving trucks to analyzing legal documents — are being taken over by algorithms. Gig work and remote freelancing have replaced stable, salaried employment for many, leaving millions without job security, healthcare, or long-term prospects. By 2035, it’s predicted that entire professions may disappear, replaced by systems that require little human oversight. While this opens doors to new fields and flexible lifestyles, it also risks widening the economic gap between those who can adapt and those who are left behind. Education systems are scrambling to prepare future workers for jobs that don’t yet exist, and universal basic income (UBI) is being floated as a potential solution to systemic unemployment. But will governments act fast enough? Will people find meaning in a world where work is optional — or obsolete? The future of labor is uncertain, but one thing is clear: the traditional 9-to-5 is already a relic of the past.