10 must-know workforce trends for 2026

The pace of change in 2025 has been dizzying — a year defined by breakthroughs that blurred the boundaries between human and machine, and by disruptions that challenged how, where, and why we work. From the continued mainstream adoption of generative to global economic recalibrations and new definitions of what “career stability” even means, the future of work is no longer a distant concept. It’s unfolding right now. The organizations that thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones chasing every trend, but those that can anticipate what’s next, adapt intelligently, and put people at the center of technological progress. 

As I mark my fifth year working with Dayforce, I’ve had a front-row seat to this transformation — and a deep appreciation for how quickly theoretical predictions are becoming practical imperatives. And that’s why I’m highlighting the 10 trends that will shape the 2026 workplace and beyond. These insights are designed not just to inform, but to equip leaders and employees alike with the right lens to stay ahead.  

1. Wholesale job redesign and upskilling 

In 2026, job redesign will shift from the theoretical to the practical, as more organizations break down individual roles into component tasks and strategically assign those to human and AI-based team members. Accurate foundational data about workflows and skills will be essential to making informed decisions about who is responsible for what. The sheer necessity of AI upskilling will hopefully result in more concrete action in this direction. As of now, according to the 16th Annual Pulse of Talent from Dayforce, only 17% of employees say their organization is upskilling workers whose jobs are impacted by AI. And 71% of employees haven’t received AI training in the last year. 

2. Blunt force automation 

If the AI market is in a bubble, it hasn’t burst yet. Organizations will continue to invest billions in AI implementations. Some employers will fund these activities through reductions in force. New McKinsey research found that 32% expect decreases in the size of their workforce in response to AI, while only 13% expect increases. Blunt force automation can backfire when AI-based agents are unable to operate autonomously without proper oversight. Ultimately, new human roles will need to be created to ensure AI’s effectiveness, not the other way around.  

3. AI contraction and expansion 

At the same time, leaders will turn their attention to scaling AI and deploying it for specific business purposes rather than settling for experimentation and isolated pilots. How we define AI literacy will grow increasingly variable depending on who you ask and what you’re trying to accomplish. Per Gartner, by 2027, more than half of the generative AI models used by enterprises will be domain-specific. 

4. Reputational fallout 

Next year, we can expect a correction for companies that have been too quick or careless with AI. Costly mistakes will reveal the limits of what generative and agentic AI can really do and force new conversations about when to trust the results. Leaders will spend far more time navigating compliance, legal risks, and growing claims of “AI washing,” or overstating the extent of AI innovation actually happening behind the scenes. 

5. Energy and security constraints 

AI’s power comes at a steep cost. In 2026, the energy demands of thousands of data centers could begin to strain global resources. At the same time, IT leaders will continue to grapple with securing AI systems and defining what’s safe to share with tools like Copilot or Claude. Encouragingly, Gartner forecasts that preemptive defenses, designed to anticipate and block risks before they occur, will account for half of all security spending by 2030. 

6. Unequal access to AI 

As AI becomes central to how work gets done, the real divide isn’t about enthusiasm — it’s about access. According to the 16th Annual Pulse of Talent, 87% of executives now use AI at work, compared to only 57% of managers and 27% of workers. The same hierarchy exists in training: two-thirds of executives have received AI learning opportunities, but just one in six workers have. In 2026, bridging this access gap will be essential to ensuring that AI enhances work for everyone — not just those at the top of the org chart. 

7. The rise of “turnarounders” 

In 2026, many leaders and boards will realize they need help navigating the AI era and turn to seasoned fractional executives for guidance. These “turnarounders” will take short, targeted engagements to reconfigure business models and restore trust eroded by under-governed AI implementations. According to the latest Pulse of Talent research, 58% of employees see ethical challenges in AI usage, yet only 26% of organizations have a dedicated leader overseeing responsible AI. 

8. RTO5 reversal 

Following the lead of the most powerful global companies, many tenured leaders are insisting their knowledge workers return to the office full-time (RTO5). But younger Gen X and millennial leaders are noting the attrition of top talent caused by inflexible RTO policies, and the hybrid structure is most likely to win out in the end.  Already, research has found that it’s taking organizations an average of 23% longer to fill open roles made vacant by RTO policy enforcement. 

9. Pre-industrial skills emphasis 

We’ve been talking about human skills for a long time, but put another way, 2026 will include the rise of what my colleague Erica Orange calls “pre-industrial” skills, or those that humans needed to operate in the world before the technology revolution. These skills are already in high demand, as evidenced by the 2025 ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, which found that the pre-industrial skills of ethical judgment (33%), customer service (31%), and team management skills (30%) are among the most difficult to automate.  

10. Work-based learning 

In 2025, we saw a decrease in traditional knowledge worker jobs for newly minted college graduates. But globally, we’re experiencing a significant talent shortage in the skilled trades, with young people increasingly open to pursuing careers in fields such as advanced manufacturing. Public and private sector organizations seeking to maintain a healthy pipeline will need to partner with convener groups like GPS Education to actively recruit and train high school students in the trades through on-the-job experience. 

The coming year will challenge organizations to separate hype from reality and establish their AI strategies on a solid foundation. The trends ahead demand both human adaptability and structural foresight — from ethical oversight and energy management to inclusive upskilling and trust-based leadership. The organizations that act now, guided by data and purpose, will not only keep pace with change but define what progress looks like in 2026 and beyond. 

These trends are just the beginning. I hope you’ll join me at the next Dayforce Coffee Collab to explore how organizations can stay ahead of the curve, balance AI innovation with human potential, and lead confidently into 2026.