62% of workers likely to seek new jobs within six months, G-P report finds

A growing number of employees are considering new jobs despite expressing confidence in their ability to navigate technological change, according to G-P’s 2026 World at Work Report.

The report, released on October 21, found that 62% of employees were actively searching or likely to search for a new job within the next six months, up from 52% in 2025. At the same time, 91% of workers said they felt confident navigating technological innovation, highlighting a workforce that is increasingly comfortable with change but remains open to new opportunities.

Titled Beyond Boundaries: AI, Global Talent and the Structural Evolution of Traditional Work, the report draws on insights from 7,100 business leaders and professionals across the US, UK, Australia, France, Germany and Singapore.

The findings point to changing employee expectations as organisations integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations, expand across borders and navigate increasingly complex employment regulations.

AI values influence talent attraction and retention

AI adoption is emerging as a factor in employees’ decisions about where to work. According to the report, 58% of employees would turn down a job offer if a company’s AI values did not align with their own.

Among executives, 92% agreed that their organisation’s AI strategy influences its ability to attract and retain top talent. 

The report also found that 73% of employees who were likely to seek a new job wanted their next employer to embrace AI as a core part of its operations.

Laura Maffucci, Head of HR at G-P, said employees’ growing confidence in navigating change was raising their expectations of employers. “As AI becomes more integrated into work, people want organizations that pair innovation with opportunities to grow, contribute and develop distinctly human skills,” Maffucci said.

The findings suggest that organisations’ approach to AI may increasingly shape their employer proposition, alongside opportunities for professional development and career growth.

Confidence in business outlook differs between leaders and employees

While 80% of respondents expressed confidence in their organisation’s ability to navigate macroeconomic conditions over the next 12 months, executives were more likely than employees to express strong confidence.

Nearly half of executives (49%) said they were very confident, compared with 27% of employees.

The difference comes as more employees consider changing jobs, indicating that confidence in organisational resilience does not necessarily translate into a willingness to remain with an employer.

Cross-border work creates compliance challenges

The report also highlighted a gap between executive confidence in workforce compliance and employees’ remote-working practices.

Although 93% of executives said they were confident their distributed workforce complied with local labour and tax laws, 28% of employees acknowledged working remotely from another country or state for more than 30 consecutive days without notifying HR.

Meanwhile, 85% of executives said cross-border HR and compliance had become more complex over the previous year. 

Nearly two-thirds (63%) reported that regulatory complexity had delayed or slowed their expansion into new markets.

The findings underscore the challenges organisations face in managing geographically distributed teams while keeping track of employment, tax and regulatory requirements across jurisdictions.

Side hustles gain traction despite employer restrictions

Secondary income is another feature of the changing workforce. The report found that 43% of employees already had an additional income stream, while another 31% were considering one.

This trend persists despite 79% of organisations having formal policies against secondary employment, highlighting a potential tension between employer rules and employees’ income-generating ambitions.

AI coworkers and human skills shape the future of work

Looking ahead, 35% of respondents identified AI coworkers as the workplace trend likely to have the greatest impact on business over the next decade. Skills-based hiring followed at 32%.

As AI becomes more integrated into workplace processes, respondents also highlighted the continued importance of human capabilities. Critical thinking was ranked among the most valuable skills by 42% of respondents, followed by creativity at 37% and communication at 35%.

The findings point to a workplace in which technological adoption and human capabilities are expected to develop alongside one another, with employers facing pressure to align AI strategies with workforce development and employee expectations.