OUR PERSPECTIVES
Introduction
Workers’ decisions to join, stay, or leave their organizations are shaped by a broad ecosystem of push and pull factors. The Global Employee Monitor is a quarterly pulse survey of workers in 26 countries that examines how key elements of the employee value proposition — such as pay, growth opportunities, work design, and workplace relationships — influence job decisions and how satisfaction with these factors translates into engagement, retention, and other outcomes.
The study also provides important context on workers’ broader experiences, including their personal well-being, relationships, adaptability to change, and financial health. It captures perspectives on economic conditions, job opportunities, and the growing role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of work. The findings offer a global view of what is driving employee sentiment today and where the workforce may be headed next.
For the inaugural wave of data collection, which captured the first quarter of 2026, SHRM surveyed 5,042 workers via a third-party online panel between Feb. 11 and March 16, 2026. Participants were at least 18 years old and employed either full time or part time at organizations with at least two employees. Workers across a wide range of industries were included, and responses were balanced to ensure representation by age and gender. The survey was translated into each country’s official language, with localized English used where applicable.
Key Findings
KEY FINDING NO. 1
Satisfaction Drives Decision-Making
Workers consistently identify a common set of factors — pay, benefits, job security, work/life balance, and career advancement opportunities — as the primary reasons why they join, stay in, and leave jobs, highlighting a clear “push-pull” ecosystem that shapes job decisions. Workers who are satisfied with these core job characteristics are significantly more likely to stay, while those who are dissatisfied are far more likely to search for new opportunities or consider leaving. Notably, workers’ managers and a respectful work environment play a particularly strong role in retention and turnover intentions, whereas engagement is more closely tied to intrinsic and work design factors such as autonomy, meaningful work, and opportunities to use different skills.
KEY FINDING NO. 2
AI Is Widely Used, but Its Impact Remains Uncertain
AI is increasingly part of the day-to-day work experience, with generative AI emerging as the most widely used type globally. Despite this growing adoption, workers are more concerned about how AI will change their jobs than whether it will replace them entirely. At the same time, most workers report actively building their skills and adapting to change, signaling a workforce that is preparing for an evolving future rather than resisting it.
KEY FINDING NO. 3
Workers Feel Confident in Themselves, but Less So in the Economy
Workers generally feel optimistic about their organizations’ future and confident in their own skills, but their perceptions of the broader economic environment are far more cautious. Only a minority of workers rate economic conditions, job markets, and the cost of living favorably, with many describing these factors as moderate or even unfavorable. Financial health follows a similar pattern, with relatively few workers reporting strong financial well-being. This contrast highlights a key tension: Workers feel capable and adaptable on an individual level but are navigating an economic environment that feels uncertain and uneven.
KEY FINDING NO. 4
Workers in Saudia Arabia, India, Mexico, and Nigeria Report More Favorable Levels on Key Metrics
Workers’ experiences and perceptions vary significantly across countries, reflecting diverse cultural, economic, and workplace contexts. Countries such as India, Mexico, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia consistently rank among the highest of those surveyed in areas such as job satisfaction, engagement, workplace relationships, and financial health. In contrast, Japan and South Korea often report lower ratings across these dimensions.
An Ecosystem of Push and Pull Factors
Pay is consistently the most important factor for workers globally, but other factors such as benefits, job security, work/life balance, and career advancement opportunities also consistently rank among the top influential factors for workers.
Pay consistently stands out as the cornerstone of the employee value proposition, influencing attraction, retention, and turnover. Across all three decisions — joining, staying, and leaving — pay is the most frequently selected factor, with more workers identifying it as influential to their decisions than any other job characteristic.
Beyond pay, other commonly selected factors influencing workers’ decisions to stay or leave include benefits, job security, work/life balance, and career advancement opportunities. These elements collectively shape the push and pull dynamics of the workplace, based on what workers themselves report as influencing their choices.
Relationships and organizational culture also have a notable impact: A fair and respectful work environment ranked among the top five reasons why employees choose to stay in their current roles (29%), and employees’ managers were a top factor in why workers were considering leaving their jobs (18%).
The factors consistently identified as the most important for workers globally are among the ones with which they’re least satisfied.
The job characteristics most cited by workers as reasons for joining, staying, or leaving a job — pay, career advancement opportunities, and benefits — are also the areas where they reported the lowest satisfaction. This disconnect highlights a critical gap between what workers value most and what they feel their jobs deliver.
Beyond the core elements that make up the employee value proposition, other job characteristics that had relatively high dissatisfaction included workers’ CEOs (15%), managers (14%), and skill development opportunities (14%). On the other hand, workers reported higher satisfaction with job responsibility clarity (64%), meaningful work (64%), and a fair and respectful working environment (64%).
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Saudia Arabia, India, and South Africa have the highest levels of overall job satisfaction among the countries surveyed.
This chart highlights the average satisfaction levels across all job characteristics by country on a scale of 1 (not at all satisfied) to 5 (extremely satisfied). Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest satisfaction ratings: Workers in Saudi Arabia (4.03), India (3.96), and South Africa (3.92) reported the highest average satisfaction across all job characteristics.
- Countries with moderate satisfaction ratings: Workers in the U.S. (3.72), Kenya (3.71), Indonesia (3.64), and Canada (3.61) reported moderate satisfaction levels.
- Countries with the lowest satisfaction ratings: Workers in South Korea (3.04), Japan (3.06), France (3.23), and Italy (3.26) had the lowest satisfaction levels.
Retention, Turnover Intentions, and Job Search Behaviors
Most workers globally prefer to stay at their current jobs than leave for different ones.
A majority of workers said they are more inclined to stay than leave their current jobs (60%), while only 10% are more inclined to leave and 30% are equally inclined. Most said they lean toward staying, but the undecided portion highlights the importance of addressing key factors in the employee value proposition to improve retention.
High satisfaction with pay, work environment, and career advancement opportunities were among the significant predictors of retention for workers around the world.
This chart presents the workers who said they are more inclined to stay at their job than leave it, segmented by their satisfaction levels across various job characteristics. We found that 93% of workers who were satisfied with their managers reported being inclined to stay at their jobs, compared to only 58% of workers who were not satisfied with their managers, underscoring the critical role that a good manager plays in employee retention.
This trend was consistent across other key predictors of retention. For example:
- Pay — 94% of workers who were satisfied with their pay were inclined to stay, compared to just 55% of those who were not satisfied.
- Career advancement opportunities — 93% of workers satisfied with growth opportunities were inclined to stay, compared to 57% of those dissatisfied.
- Work/life balance — 92% of workers satisfied with their work/life balance were inclined to stay, while only 57% of dissatisfied workers felt the same.
- Fair and respectful work environment — 92% of workers satisfied with their workplace environment were inclined to stay, compared to 55% of those dissatisfied.
More than 1 in 3 workers globally have actively searched for new jobs in the past 12 months.
The majority of workers have not actively searched for new jobs or seriously considered quitting, but the data reveals that over one-third (37%) are exploring other opportunities and more than one-quarter (27%) are contemplating leaving their current roles.
Low satisfaction with a fair and respectful work environment, managers, and career advancement opportunities were among the significant predictors of turnover intent among workers around the world.
This chart represents workers who have seriously considered quitting their current jobs, segmented by satisfaction levels of the job characteristics that were significant predictors of turnover intentions. The trend is clear: Dissatisfaction significantly increased the likelihood of workers contemplating leaving their roles. For example:
- Fair and respectful work environment — 59% of workers who were not satisfied with their work environment seriously considered quitting in the last year, compared to only 19% of workers who were satisfied.
- Work/life balance — 55% of workers dissatisfied with their work/life balance considered quitting, compared to 19% of satisfied workers.
- Manager — 53% of workers dis satisfied with their manager considered quitting, compared to only 18% of satisfied workers .
- Career advancement opportunities — 53% of workers dissatisfied with growth opportunities considered quitting, compared to 17% of satisfied workers.
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Workers dissatisfied with their autonomy and recognition were significantly more likely to be searching for new jobs.
This chart represents workers who actively searched for new jobs in the past 12 months, segmented by their satisfaction levels across various job characteristics. The data reveals a clear trend: Workers who were not satisfied were significantly more likely to search for new opportunities compared to those who were satisfied. Key insights include:
- Job security — 64% of workers who were dissatisfied with their job security have actively searched for another job, compared to 30% of workers who were satisfied with their job security.
- Work/life balance — 57% of workers dissatisfied with their work/life balance actively searched for another job, compared to 32% of satisfied workers.
- Autonomy — 56% of workers dissatisfied with their autonomy actively searched for another job, compared to 31% of satisfied workers.
- Recognition — 54% of workers dissatisfied with their recognition actively searched for another job, compared to 31% of satisfied workers.
At least 60% of workers surveyed in Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe have actively searched for new jobs in the last 12 months.
This chart reflects the percentages of workers actively searching for new jobs within each country, with higher values indicating that more workers are searching for jobs. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the most job search activity: Rwanda (69%), Uganda (65%), Zimbabwe (62%), and Tanzania (59%) had the most workers actively searching for new jobs in the last 12 months.
- Countries with moderate job search activity: India (51%), South Africa (42%), and the U.S. (41%) had a moderate percentage of workers actively searching for new jobs in the last 12 months.
- Countries with the least job search activity: Mexico (21%), France (20%), and Italy (20%) had the least workers actively searching for new jobs in the last 12 months.
Performance and Engagement
A majority of workers globally believe that their performance meets expectations.
Over 90% of workers reported that their performance in the last 12 months either met (66%) or exceeded expectations (25%), reflecting a confident workforce.
Workers in South Africa, the U.S., and Canada reported the highest performance ratings among the countries surveyed.
This chart highlights the average job performance ratings across countries on a scale of 1 (below expectations) to 3 (above expectations). Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale
- Countries with the highest performance ratings: Workers in South Africa (2.44), the U.S. (2.4), and Canada (2.37) reported the highest self-assessments, with values reflecting either meeting or exceeding performance expectations.
- Countries with moderate performance ratings: Workers in Brazil (2.30), Saudi Arabia (2.30), and the United Arab Emirates (2.29) reported moderate self-assessments, with values reflecting meeting performance expectations.
- Countries with the lowest performance ratings: Workers in South Korea (1.91), Japan (1.92), and Italy (1.93) reported the lowest self-assessments, with values reflecting meeting or falling short of performance expectations.
Cultural Considerations: It’s important to note that cultural norms around humility and self-presentation may influence these results. For example, in countries such as Japan and South Korea, where humility and modesty are highly valued, workers may be less likely to rate their performance as “above expectations,” even if their actual performance was strong. Conversely, in cultures that emphasize individual achievement, workers may feel more comfortable rating themselves highly.
About 3 in 5 workers globally believe their job performance is better than that of their co-workers.
Only 3% of workers globally believe that their job performance is worse than their coworkers, with 59% believe that they performed better.
Globally, workers also rated themselves highly on various dimensions of job performance.
Around 9 in 10 workers say they follow through on their work responsibilities (91%), efficiently complete their tasks and responsibilities (90%), and work well with others when needed to complete work assignments (89%).
Recognition, meaningful work, and autonomy were among the significant predictors of high engagement.
This chart represents workers who have high levels of engagement, segmented by their satisfaction levels across key job characteristics. The data reveals a clear trend: Workers who were not satisfied were significantly less likely to be highly engaged at work. Key insights include:
- Recognition — 50% of workers who were dissatisfied with their recognition were highly engaged at work, compared to 95% of workers who were satisfied with their recognition.
- Meaningful work — 38% of workers dissatisfied with their work’s meaning were highly engaged at work, compared to 97% of satisfied workers.
- Skill usage opportunities — 44% of workers dissatisfied with their skill usage opportunities were highly engaged at work, compared to 97% of satisfied workers.
- Autonomy — 50% of workers dissatisfied with their autonomy were highly engaged at work, compared to 95% of satisfied workers.
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Workers in Nigeria, Saudia Arabia, and Mexico reported the highest engagement ratings among the countries surveyed.
This chart highlights the average engagement ratings across countries on a scale of 1 to 5, where higher values indicate stronger employee engagement. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest engagement ratings: Workers in Nigeria (4.29), Saudi Arabia (4.25), and Mexico (4.23) reported the highest levels of engagement.
- Countries with moderate engagement ratings: Workers in Tanzania (4.07), Rwanda (4.01), and Turkey (4.01) reported moderate levels of engagement.
- Countries with the lowest engagement ratings: Workers in Japan (3.34), South Korea (3.45), and Argentina (3.78) had the lowest levels of engagement relative to the other countries, but they still reflected a moderate level of engagement with their work.
Pay and security shape decisions to stay or leave, while growth and purpose drive engagement.
The factors that matter most to employees are not identical across outcomes, but several core themes consistently emerge. Pay, benefits, job security, and work/life balance are among the most influential drivers of turnover intention, job search behavior, and retention — highlighting the foundational role of these elements in shaping employees’ decisions.
At the same time, engagement is driven by a broader and more intrinsic set of factors, including autonomy, career advancement, skill development, and meaningful work, alongside recognition and clarity in job responsibilities. Notably, workplace relationships and culture, such as managers and a fair and respectful environment, also play a recurring role across multiple outcomes, reinforcing their importance in both retaining employees and shaping day-to-day experience.
Overall, the findings suggest that while foundational rewards and security drive decisions to stay or leave, engagement is more strongly influenced by opportunities for growth, purpose, and how work is experienced.
Well-Being
Most workers globally feel a sense of belonging within their organizations.
Most workers reported feeling a sense of belonging within their organizations, with only a small percentage (8%) expressing otherwise.
Workers generally rated the quality of their personal health, social relationships, and professional relationships favorably.
There is a generally positive perception among global workers of the quality of their personal health as well as their social and work relationships, with the strongest favorability seen in family relationships (75%). However, areas such as exercise habits (9% unfavorable) and diet (49% moderate) suggest opportunities for improvements in personal health. Work relationships were largely favorable, but more workers rated their relationships with their co-workers (65%) as favorable than did so for their relationships with their managers (58%).
Workers in Mexico, Saudia Arabia, and Nigeria rated their personal health most favorably among the countries surveyed.
This chart highlights the average quality ratings that workers assigned to their physical health, mental health, and diet on a scale of 1 (worst possible state) to 10 (best possible state). Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest personal health ratings: Workers in Mexico (8.22), Saudi Arabia (8.18), and Nigeria (8.14) reported the highest quality of personal health.
- Countries with moderate personal health ratings: Workers in India (7.87), Indonesia (7.87), and Tanzania (7.42) reported a moderate level of personal health.
- Countries with the lowest personal health ratings: Workers in Japan (5.67) and South Korea (5.96) reported the lowest personal health ratings.
Workers in Nigeria, Saudia Arabia, and Mexico rated their social relationships most favorably among the countries surveyed.
This chart represents the average quality ratings for workers’ relationships with family and friends across countries. Higher ratings indicate stronger, more positive perceptions of these social relationships. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest social relationship ratings: Workers in Nigeria (8.72), Saudi Arabia (8.85), and Mexico (8.67) reported the highest quality ratings of their social relationships. Other high-scoring countries include Tanzania (8.55), the United Arab Emirates (8.51), and India (8.49).
- Countries with moderate social relationship ratings: Workers in the U.K. (7.86), Ghana (8.00), and Rwanda (7.98) fall into the moderate range. The U.S. (7.75) and Canada (7.74) also land in this category.
- Countries with the lowest social relationship ratings: Workers in South Korea (6.49) and Japan (6.70) reported the lowest quality ratings of social relationships. Though not as low, other countries with relatively lower ratings include Zimbabwe (7.05) and Argentina (7.36).
Workers in Saudia Arabia, Mexico, and Brazil rated their professional relationships most favorably among the countries surveyed.
This chart represents the average quality ratings for workers’ relationships with co-workers and supervisors across countries. Higher ratings indicate stronger, more positive workplace relationships. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest professional relationship ratings: Workers in Saudi Arabia (8.49), Mexico (8.37), Brazil (8.26), and Nigeria (8.21) reported the highest ratings.
- Countries with moderate professional relationship ratings: The United Arab Emirates (8.06), Turkey (7.95), and Tanzania (7.89) fall into the moderate range, indicating generally positive but less pronounced workplace relationships compared to the highest-scoring regions.
- Countries with the lowest professional relationship ratings: Workers in South Korea (6.18) and Japan (6.42) reported the lowest ratings. Other relatively lower-scoring countries include France (7.11) and Italy (7.11), though their ratings were notably higher than those of South Korea and Japan.
Quality of Life Ratings: Mexico, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia consistently rank among the highest countries across all three quality of life categories, reflecting strong well-being and relationships both personally and professionally. Japan and South Korea consistently rank at the bottom across all three categories, indicating challenges in well-being, social connections, and workplace relationships. Kenya, Tanzania, and Turkey consistently fall into the moderate range.
Future Outlook
Approximately 70% of workers were highly confident that their skill sets would make them valuable and competitive in the job market.
The majority of employees expressed high confidence in the value and competitiveness of their skill sets, suggesting a strong sense of self-efficacy and readiness for opportunities in the job market. Still, about 1 in 5 workers reported just moderate confidence in their skills, suggesting less certainty about their competitiveness in the job market.
Almost 9 in 10 workers around the world have actively worked to build or improve their skills in the last 12 months.
Workers demonstrated strong adaptability, with high agreement on their ability to adjust to changes effectively (87%) and handle challenges successfully (86%). There was also a proactive mindset toward skill development, with most employees actively working to improve and prepare for the future (86%).
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More than 80% of workers reported feeling at least somewhat optimistic about their organizations’ overall future.
As a whole, the majority of workers globally reported some level of optimism about their organizations’ future: 27% were somewhat optimistic, 35% were optimistic, and 21% were very optimistic about their future. This data suggests an overall positive outlook among employees worldwide, with opportunities for employers to understand what factors make workers more pessimistic about their organizations’ future prospects.
Living conditions were viewed positively, but financial and economic well-being lag behind.
Workers reported mixed perceptions of the broader economic and financial context within their respective countries. A majority (51%) said they view their living conditions favorably, but fewer feel positive about their financial health (38%), with most describing their financial and economic states as only moderately favorable. Perceptions of the broader economy in their countries were notably weaker: Just about one-quarter of workers rated economic conditions (26%), the job market (27%), and the cost of living relative to wages (26%) favorably, with roughly 1 in 5 expressing unfavorable views in each area.
How workers rate their economic well-being varies by country, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India reporting the most favorable conditions.
This chart reflects the average rating that workers assigned to their economic conditions, job market, cost of living, and job security. Higher scores indicate better economic well-being, while lower scores suggest worse economic well-being. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with higher economic well-being: Saudi Arabia (7.87), the United Arab Emirates (7.37), and India (7.10) had the highest economic well-being among the countries surveyed.
- Countries with moderate economic well-being: Indonesia (6.62), Brazil (6.12), and Australia (6.06) fell into the moderate range.
- Countries with lower economic well-being: Uganda (4.91), Argentina (4.90), Kenya (4.82), and Zimbabwe (4.01) had the worst economic well-being among the countries surveyed.
How workers rated their financial health and living conditions varied by country — it was highest in Saudi Arabia, India, and Mexico and lowest in Zimbabwe, South Korea, and Japan.
This chart reflects the average ratings that workers assigned to their financial health and living conditions across different countries. Higher scores indicate better financial health and living conditions, while lower scores suggest challenges in these areas. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest financial health ratings: Workers in Saudi Arabia (8.02), India (7.96), and Mexico (7.92) reported the highest ratings of their financial health.
- Countries with moderate financial health ratings: Workers in the U.K. (7.16), U.S. (7.08), and Australia (7.01) had moderate ratings of financial health.
- Countries with the lowest financial health ratings: Workers in Japan (5.91), South Korea (5.83), and Zimbabwe (5.49) had the lowest ratings of financial health.
More than 1 in 3 workers think the economic opportunities in their country are worse than those of surrounding countries in their region.
Perceptions of economic opportunities in surrounding countries are fairly divided, with 36% of workers believing that opportunities in their country are somewhat worse or much worse, 31% considering them about the same, and 33% viewing them as somewhat better or much better than those in neighboring countries.
Most workers think the economic opportunities in their country are slightly worse than those in other countries in the surrounding area.
This chart reflects workers’ average rating of the economic opportunities in their countries compared to other countries in the surrounding region. Higher scores indicate more favorable perceptions of economic opportunities in their own countries. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Workers in Saudi Arabia (3.96), the United Arab Emirates (3.86), and China (3.66) rated the economic situations in their countries as better than other countries in their surrounding region.
- Workers in France (2.51), Turkey (2.47), and Zimbabwe (2.11) rated the economic situations in their countries as worse than other countries in their surrounding region.
Almost 1 in 5 workers around the world don’t think there are currently many job opportunities available to someone with their skills and experience.
While over half of workers (52%) either agreed or strongly agreed that there are currently many job opportunities for someone with their skills and experience in their local labor market, 18% either disagreed or strongly disagreed.
How workers view job opportunities depends on where they live, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and India standing out for the most favorable perceptions among the countries surveyed.
This data reflects workers’ average ratings of perceived job opportunities available to someone with their skills and experience in their local labor market. Higher scores indicate a more favorable perception of job availability. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest perceived job opportunities: Workers in Saudi Arabia (4.07), the United Arab Emirates (3.87), and India (3.77) had the highest perceived job opportunities.
- Countries with moderate perceived job opportunities: Nigeria (3.75), China (3.71), and Rwanda (3.58) fell into the moderate range.
- Countries with the lowest perceived job opportunities: Workers in Argentina (3.01), Japan (2.99), and South Korea (2.78) reported the lowest perceived job opportunities.
AI Usage and Concerns
Generative AI is the most common type of AI used regularly in jobs by workers across the world.
Generative AI led across types of AI in usage by global workers, with the highest percentage of workers using it always or often (51%), likely due to its versatility in creating text, images, and other content across work tasks and occupations. Agentic or autonomous AI had the lowest adoption across types of AI, potentially reflecting its complexity and still-emerging status in the AI landscape. Across all categories of AI types, there was a significant portion of respondents who said they use these technologies “sometimes,” indicating potential for growth in adoption as these tools become more accessible and integrated into workflows.
Definitions
Agentic or autonomous AI — breaks problems into tasks, uses tools, takes actions independently.
Automation AI — performs actions, triggers steps, moves data, executes subroutines.
Classification or detection AI — categorizes items, flags unusual behavior, recognizes objects or signals.
Generative AI — writes text, produces images, generates code, composes music.
Optimization or decision AI — recommends optimal schedules, routes, configurations, or actions.
Predictive AI — forecasts outcomes, identifies probabilities, anticipates trends.
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Workers were generally more concerned that the implementation of AI will create drastic changes to their roles than they were concerned about losing their jobs entirely.
Approximately 33% of global workers said they are at least moderately concerned that the implementation of AI at their organizations may lead to them losing their jobs in the next 12 months. Concerns about drastic changes to job roles were generally more prevalent, with 43% of workers saying they are at least moderately concerned.
Concerns about AI changing jobs varied widely across the countries surveyed, with the most concern expressed among workers in Nigeria, India, and Uganda.
This chart represents the average levels of concern regarding AI drastically changing jobs across different countries. Lower scores indicate less concern, while higher scores suggest greater concern. Please note that the differences highlighted are meant to show how the countries surveyed compare to each other, rather than being absolute measures. To understand each country’s score on its own, refer to where the country falls on the scale.
- Countries with the highest level of concern about AI’s impact on jobs: Workers in Kenya (3.02), Uganda (2.98), India (2.89), and Nigeria (2.87) reported the highest level of concern that AI will drastically change their jobs.
- Countries with moderate levels of concern about AI’s impact on jobs: Workers in Argentina (2.10), the U.K. (2.08), and Brazil (2.09) reported moderate levels of concern that AI will drastically change their jobs.
- Countries with the lowest level of concern about AI’s impact on jobs: Workers in Turkey (1.97), the U.S. (1.97), Germany (1.92), and Japan (1.85) reported the lowest level of concern that AI will drastically change their jobs.
CONCLUSION
These findings highlight the diverse experiences and priorities of workers across the globe, offering valuable insights for employers seeking to create more engaging, supportive, and productive workplaces. By improving work/life balance, providing opportunities for growth, and addressing regional differences in financial well-being and technological adoption, there are many opportunities for employers to tailor their strategies to meet the unique needs of their workforces. By focusing on pay, career growth, and a respectful work environment, organizations can strengthen their ability to attract and retain top talent in an increasingly competitive landscape.
As the workplace continues to evolve, these insights serve as a resource for understanding and responding to the priorities of workers. To help employers stay ahead, these findings will be updated and released quarterly, providing a regular pulse on workforce trends and opportunities. By leveraging these ongoing insights, organizations can remain agile and proactive, ensuring they are well positioned to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern workplace.