London, September 29, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- PwC stated that as the skills gap defined by AI widens, the workforce is beginning to diverge; while the accessibility of learning and development resources is declining, the pace of changes in the use of AI and workplaces is accelerating, leaving most employees at risk of falling behind.

PwC's "2026 Global Employee Expectations and Concerns Survey" interviewed nearly 50,000 employees from 48 countries and regions. The survey found that employees have varying levels of optimism regarding their career paths and work experiences, while they also face rapid changes, increased workloads, and greater pressures from rising living costs.

Only 51% of respondents indicated that they were able to access the learning and development resources they needed, which is lower than last year's 59%.

This differentiation is particularly evident among the employees in the "engine compartment" category, which accounts for 56% of the total. These employees have a lower level of skill scarcity and do not face a steep learning curve like those in other areas; however, only two-fifths of them feel that they have access to the necessary learning and development resources.

At the same time, employees who use AI every day have a stronger sense of job security, are more likely to trust management, and have greater confidence in their ability to learn new skills.

PwC's global labor force leader Pete Brown stated:

Employees are under pressure from increased workloads, rapid changes, and external uncertainties. However, those who use AI every day are more confident, more ambitious, and more optimistic about their careers and prospects. The challenge for leaders is to continue to nurture these individuals without sacrificing other employees in the process.

AI has seen a continuous upward trend, but the pressure faced by employees is also increasing.

The pressure felt by employees is quite evident. Only one-third of the respondents indicated that they still had money left at the end of the month, which is an 8-percentage-point decrease compared to the same period last year.

At the same time, nearly one-third (29%) of people stated that their bargaining power has significantly weakened compared to three years ago, a proportion more than twice that of those who hold the opposite view. For employees who work entirely remotely, this figure is 10 percentage points higher.

When measuring the greatest risks to job safety, more employees cited economic fluctuations (57%) rather than AI taking on more tasks (44%); Generation Z exhibited a higher level of anxiety across all these indicators.

Among those who have experienced changes in the workplace, three-fifths (58%) believe that there have been more changes in the past year than in previous years. Nearly one-third (27%) stated that feelings of fatigue or burnout have limited their productivity.

The vast majority of employees stated that over the past year, they have also had to apply new skills in their work, with two-fifths (40%) of them indicating that this was to a great or very great extent.

Change is being driven faster at the leadership level. More than half (51%) of executives and 46% of managers stated that they have applied new skills in their roles; in contrast, this figure is 29% for non-management staff and 38% for entry-level employees.

However, while employees are under increasing pressure, the use of AI continues to rise: nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees stated that they have used AI at work in the past 12 months, which is a 10 percentage point increase from last year. The proportion of those using generative AI daily has also risen from 14% to 22%. About three-fifths (59%) of employees expect to use AI tools more frequently at work in the next 12 months. This group indicates that using AI makes them feel more energetic and in control, rather than tired and powerless, with a ratio of about 5 to 1.

Employees who use AI daily at work are also more optimistic: 68% of them express confidence in job safety, compared to 57% among those who only occasionally use AI. They are also more likely to request promotions (by 12 percentage points), trust senior management (by 15 percentage points), and believe they have the ability to learn new skills (by 21 percentage points).

New employee differentiation

Although 61% of employees overall are confident in their ability to develop and grow their skills, only half (51%) indicate that they have access to learning and development resources, which is lower than last year's 59%. To further illustrate this point, the report categorizes employees into four groups:

• Frontliners (14%): Skilled positions are in high demand, and those with AI capabilities are particularly sought after.
• AI Forwarders (18%): The scarcity of skills is relatively low, but they are leveraging AI to increase output.
• Indispensables (11%): Skills are in high demand, and employers value them greatly, but the learning curve for AI is not particularly easy.
• Engine compartment (56%): Skills are not in short supply, and the learning curve for AI is also not too steep.

The report emphasizes that employers need to pay special attention to the "engine compartment" group. Compared to other groups, these employees are less likely to receive rewards for using AI, learning new skills, or challenging existing work methods – yet they make up the majority of the total workforce and undertake most of the daily work in the organization.

At the same time, the "frontier" group is reaping significant benefits from their position. They are most likely to receive rewards that are 1.5 times higher than the global average for challenging existing work methods, and they are also 1.2 times more likely to receive rewards for learning new skills. This group also has a 33 percentage point higher likelihood of requesting promotions.

For employers who wish to retain their most valuable employees, nearly one-third (29%) of these workers indicate that they are very likely or extremely likely to change employers in the coming year.

Pete Brown finally indicates:

There is indeed a risk that global employee teams are not advancing at the same pace. More than half of the employees have not yet benefited in the same way from AI and skills, while those with scarce skills and strong AI capabilities are becoming more confident and are also more mobile. Leaders need to seriously consider where to invest in skills, how to give employees the opportunity to adapt, and how to retain the most needed capabilities.

Editor's Note

PwC 2026 Global Employee Expectations and Concerns Survey

PwC's 2026 Global Employee Expectations and Concerns Survey collected responses from 49,364 employees across 29 industries in 48 countries and regions between May and June 2026. The data in the report is proportionally weighted according to the gender and age distribution of the labor population in each country or region to ensure that the employees' perspectives are broadly representative of major areas.

About PwC

At PwC, we help our clients build trust and achieve transformation, enabling them to turn complexity into a competitive advantage. We are a technology-driven, people-oriented network with over 360,000 employees in more than 130 countries and regions. In the areas of audit and assurance, tax and law, transactional services, and consulting, we assist our clients in establishing, accelerating, and sustaining their growth momentum. For more information, please visit www.pwc.com.