AI Use Climbs as Access to Skills Training Falls, PwC Finds
AI adoption is rising, but fewer workers have access to the training they need, leaving more than half the workforce at risk of falling behind.
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Nearly two-thirds of workers worldwide used artificial intelligence at work in the past year, even as access to skills training declined, according to PwC’s latest global workforce survey.
The 2026 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, released Tuesday, September 29, found that 64% of workers used AI at work, up 10 percentage points from 2025. Daily use of generative AI rose to 22% from 14%, while 59% expect to increase their use of AI over the next year.
The growth in adoption has not been matched by skills development. Just 51% of workers said they had access to the learning and development resources they needed, down from 59% a year earlier. Although 61% believed they could develop new skills, fewer reported receiving the necessary support.
The divide is particularly pronounced among employees PwC classifies as the “engine room,” who account for 56% of the workforce. These workers have less-scarce skills and report limited benefits from AI. Fewer than 40% said they had adequate access to learning resources, compared with nearly 80% of workers PwC calls “front-runners.”
“There is a real risk that the global workforce is starting to move at different speeds,” said Pete Brown, PwC’s global workforce leader.
That difference is increasingly visible in how employees view their careers.
Workers who use generative AI daily also reported greater confidence in their careers. Among them, 68% felt secure in their jobs, compared with 57% of infrequent users. Daily users were 12 percentage points more likely to seek a promotion, 15 points more likely to trust senior management and 21 points more confident in their ability to learn new skills.
PwC identified front-runners, who combine strong AI capabilities with skills in high demand, as 14% of the workforce. Despite their greater career confidence, 29% said they were very or extremely likely to change employers within the next year.
Workers are also adapting to technological change. Some 88% reported applying new skills over the past year, while 64% had learned new tools or technologies to at least a moderate extent. However, employees benefiting most from AI reported faster changes in their work than those in the core workforce.
Financial pressures have added to the strain. Only 34% of workers said they could pay their bills and still have money left at the end of the month, down eight percentage points from 2025.
Nearly two-thirds said the cost of living had affected them at work to a moderate or major extent.
The survey covered 49,364 workers across 48 countries and regions and 29 sectors in May and June 2026.
PwC said employers risk leaving large sections of their workforce behind unless access to AI is accompanied by broader opportunities for skills development.
