PwC’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears survey collected responses from nearly 50,000 workers across 48 countries and regions. The research shows that AI tool usage is growing rapidly, while access to training needed for development is narrowing: 64% of respondents used AI tools at work in the past year, a ten percentage‑point increase compared with the previous period.
Usage trends and outlook
Daily users of generative AI rose from 14% to 22%, and 59% of workers expect to use AI more over the next year. Among daily AI users, more than two‑thirds are confident that their job is secure in the long term, compared with 57% of non‑regular users. Daily users are also more likely to seek promotion, place greater trust in senior leadership, and feel more confident about acquiring new skills.
Four worker groups with different prospects
The survey segments workers into four groups based on rarity of specialist skills and readiness to use AI:
- “Front‑runners” — 14%: combine rare, in‑demand skills with advanced AI capabilities.
- “AI innovators” — 18%: less rare specialist skills but greater use of AI to enhance work.
- “Indispensables” — 11%: valuable expertise but early stages of AI adoption.
- The largest group, 56%: the organisational engine that delivers day‑to‑day operations; their skills are less in demand and their AI use is less advanced.
Crucially, only two in five people in that largest group have access to the training they need (around 40%), even though they perform most of the organisation’s routine tasks and make up the bulk of headcount.
Retention and mobility risks
Retaining top AI‑savvy talent is a clear challenge: 29% of front‑runners say it is very or extremely likely they will change jobs within a year. Overall, three‑fifths of workers are confident in their ability to adapt, but only half feel learning opportunities are accessible — down from 59% a year earlier, indicating a tangible decline in perceived access to development.
Local context and leadership challenges
A separate PwC study in Hungary found that just 27% of respondents reported their employer provides AI tools, so many compensate with personal or free solutions. PwC’s earlier Global AI Jobs Barometer also warned that AI reshapes the labour market unevenly: in some roles it increases the value of expertise and opportunities for development, while in others it amplifies the risk of falling behind.
Mezei Szabolcs, partner at PwC Hungary, summarizes the leadership challenge: “Leaders need to carefully consider which skills to invest in, how to support workers’ adaptation, and how to retain the organisation’s most valuable talent.”
Why this matters for employers
The survey highlights a real risk of a new fault line in the labour market: more than half of workers are not yet benefiting from AI and related skills development to the same degree as those with in‑demand skills and advanced AI capabilities. Those latter groups are growing more confident, more mobile, and better positioned to build favourable career trajectories. Employers therefore face a dual task: upskill those who are lagging and prevent the loss of high‑value, AI‑proficient employees.
Related event
The topics of skills development, practical AI applications in HR, and employee retention will be discussed at the Portfolio and Pénzcentrum HR (R)EVOLUTION 2026 conference on November 17.
