AI-driven workforce divide creates fresh retention challenge: PwC report

Companies face a widening workforce divide as AI adoption accelerates but access to learning and development declines, putting both employee capability and retention under pressure, according to PwC’s 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey.

The survey of nearly 50,000 workers across 48 countries and regions found that 64 per cent had used AI at work in the past 12 months, up 10 percentage points from last year. Daily generative AI use also rose from 14 per cent to 22 per cent.

However, access to learning and development resources moved in the opposite direction. Only 51 per cent of workers said they have access to the resources they need, down from 59 per cent last year.

The gap is particularly pronounced among the 56 per cent of workers PwC classifies as the “Engine Room” — employees whose skills are less scarce and who are not far along the AI learning curve. Only two in five in this group said they have access to the learning and development resources they need.

AI use linked to greater confidence

Workers using AI daily reported more positive views of their jobs and career prospects than those using the technology less frequently.

According to PwC, 68 per cent of daily AI users expressed confidence in their job security, compared with 57 per cent of infrequent users. Daily users were also 12 percentage points more likely to ask for a promotion, 15 points more likely to trust top management and 21 points more likely to feel confident about learning new skills.

Nearly three-fifths (59 per cent) of workers expect their use of AI tools at work to increase over the next year. Those anticipating greater AI use were more likely to say the technology made them feel energised and empowered rather than tired and powerless.

“Workers are under growing pressure from rising workloads, rapid change and external uncertainty. But those using AI every day are more confident, more ambitious and more positive about their careers and prospects,” said Pete Brown, Global Workforce Leader at PwC.

“The challenge for leaders is to keep developing those people – but not at the expense of the rest of the workforce,” he added.

Retention risk among AI front-runners

PwC’s analysis divides workers into four groups based on the scarcity of their skills and their progress on AI adoption.

“Front-runners”, who make up 14 per cent of the workforce, combine scarce skills with strong AI capabilities. “AI insurgents” account for 18 per cent and have less scarce skills but are using AI to deliver more. “Indispensables”, at 11 per cent, have scarce skills that employers value but are less advanced in AI learning.

The remaining 56 per cent make up the “Engine Room”, representing the largest group and much of the day-to-day workforce.

The report warns that the front-runners who are benefiting most from their skills and AI capabilities may also be increasingly mobile. Almost a third (29 per cent) of this group said they are very or extremely likely to change employers in the next year.

Front-runners were also more likely to report being rewarded for challenging existing ways of working and learning new skills, while they were 33 percentage points more likely than the overall workforce to say they would ask for a promotion.

PwC said the findings create a dual challenge for employers: ensuring the majority of employees can build relevant skills while retaining workers with scarce capabilities and strong AI expertise.

Workplace change adds to pressure

The widening AI divide comes amid broader pressure on workers. Three-fifths (58 per cent) of employees who experienced workplace change said there had been more change in the past year than previously, while 27 per cent said fatigue or burnout limited their productivity.

The pace of skills change is also uneven across levels. More than half of senior executives (51 per cent) and 46 per cent of managers said they had applied new skills to a large or very large extent, compared with 29 per cent of non-managers and 38 per cent of entry-level workers.

Economic pressures are adding another layer of uncertainty. Only around a third of workers said they have money left at the end of the month, an eight-percentage-point decline year on year. Meanwhile, 29 per cent said they have significantly less bargaining power than three years ago.

Economic volatility was also cited as a greater threat to job security than AI taking on more tasks, with 57 per cent identifying economic volatility as a risk compared with 44 per cent citing AI.

PwC said the findings point to the need for organisations to broaden access to skills development while creating opportunities for employees to adapt to AI-driven changes.

“There is a real risk that the global workforce is starting to move at different speeds,” Brown said. “More than half of workers are not yet benefiting from AI and skills in the same way, while those with scarce skills and strong AI capabilities are becoming more confident and more mobile.”