The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is reshaping the global labour market into two distinct paths, with companies that effectively deploy the technology seeing faster hiring, stronger wage growth and significant productivity gains, according to a new report from PwC.
The firm’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that AI is accelerating demand for human-intensive skills such as judgement, creativity and leadership, while creating a divide between roles enhanced by AI and those simplified by it.
The report, based on an analysis of more than one billion job postings across 27 countries and territories, points to what it describes as a “two-track” labour market. Roles categorized as “professionalized,” where AI amplifies expert work by automating routine tasks, are expanding more quickly and offering stronger wage growth than “democratized” roles, where AI lowers the barrier to entry for less-experienced workers.
Companies that are more exposed to AI are outpacing their peers on several fronts. According to the report, these firms recorded headcount growth of 52 per cent in 2025 compared with 36 per cent for those less exposed to AI. Wage growth also differed, rising 24 per cent at highly AI-exposed companies versus 17 per cent at others.
The findings suggest that businesses integrating AI into their operations are gaining a competitive advantage not only in productivity but also in their ability to attract and retain talent.
Joe Atkinson
“Across the global economy, we’re beginning to see a new divide emerge between different models for talent and value creation. The companies seeing the greatest returns on AI are using it to amplify human expertise, accelerate innovation and create entirely new sources of value. As a result, they are pulling further ahead on productivity and growth than companies that focus primarily on automation,” said Joe Atkinson, PwC’s global chief AI officer.
The report highlights a widening productivity gap between companies. Businesses operating in the most AI-exposed sectors recorded productivity growth of 34 per cent in 2025 compared with 2018 levels, versus 24 per cent for those least able to use AI.
Within that group, a subset of top-performing firms — described as “super-star” companies — is emerging. The top 20 per cent of the most AI-exposed companies achieved average labour productivity growth of 163 per cent over the same period, nearly five times higher than the broader group of AI-exposed firms.
At the same time, demand for workers with AI-related skills is accelerating sharply. Jobs requiring specific AI capabilities, such as machine learning and prompt engineering, grew 69 per cent — nearly eight times faster than the overall job market, which expanded by nine per cent.
This surge in demand has translated into higher pay. The report found the average wage premium for workers with AI skills reached 62 per cent, up from 57 per cent a year earlier. In some industries, such as consumer markets, the premium climbed as high as 118 per cent, while in government and public sector roles it was closer to 16 per cent.
The distribution of AI job growth also varies across industries. Technology, media and telecommunications accounted for the largest share at 11 per cent, followed by professional services at six per cent. Health-related roles represented less than one per cent.
The report also points to shifting expectations for entry-level workers, particularly in roles most exposed to AI. Based on an analysis of 2.4 million entry-level job postings in the United States, these positions are now significantly more likely to require skills traditionally associated with more senior roles.
Pete Brown
Entry-level jobs exposed to AI are seven times more likely to call for capabilities such as leadership, creativity and interpersonal interaction, the report found. Openings for these “seniorized” entry-level roles have grown 35 per cent since 2019, while other entry-level roles declined by 10 per cent over the same period.
The shift suggests that AI is altering traditional career development pathways, reducing the amount of routine work that once served as on-the-job training while increasing expectations for higher-level thinking earlier in workers’ careers.
“The traditional relationship between experience and expertise is changing. AI is removing some of the routine work that once acted as an apprenticeship, while increasing demand for judgement, leadership and adaptability much earlier in careers. Organizations need to rethink how they develop talent if they want people to thrive in this new environment,” said Pete Brown, PwC’s global workforce leader.
PwC said the findings reflect a broader transformation in how work is structured and how value is created within organizations, as AI continues to be integrated into business operations worldwide.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024, 2025 and 2026.
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