PwC Survey Finds AI Skill Divide Splits Global Workforce, 56% Stuck in 'Engine Room'

PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026 found that 56% of workers lack specialized AI skills and are not advancing in AI learning, creating four distinct skill cohorts across the global labor market. The survey polled 49,364 workers across 48 countries and 29 sectors in May and June 2026. At the top, "front-runners" with strong AI capabilities comprise 14% of respondents, while "AI insurgents" (18%) are active users with more common AI skills. "Indispensables" (11%) hold other valued skills but lag in AI learning, and the "engine room" (56%) sits at the bottom. PwC Global Workforce Leader Pete Brown warned that the global workforce "is starting to move at different speeds." Front-runners report greater confidence in job security, with 29% saying they are likely to change jobs next year. A majority of engine-room workers say they feel least ready to adapt.