PwC survey finds workers fear economic volatility more than AI

Professional services firm PwC’s latest global research shows that employees are more concerned about economic volatility than the impact of artificial intelligence on job security.

The “2026 Workforce Hopes and Fears” survey gathered responses from nearly 50,000 workers worldwide, including 1,004 participants in Ireland, to gauge sentiment amid rapid change, rising workloads and heightened pressure.

Overall, 57 % of global respondents said economic volatility poses the greatest threat to their roles, compared with 45 % of Irish participants. By contrast, 44 % of global workers and 41 % of Irish workers identified AI as the larger risk.

Financial pressure is also evident: only 34 % of global participants and 26 % of Irish employees reported having money left over after paying bills, a drop of 13 percentage points and 8 percentage points respectively.

Cost‑of‑living concerns have affected work motivation for 66 % of Irish respondents and 62 % of the global cohort. More than a quarter of all contributors feel they have significantly less bargaining power than three years ago.

Changes in the workplace are widespread, with 58 % of global and 55 % of Irish employees experiencing more change in the past year than before, and 40 % of global participants having to adapt their skillsets on a large scale.

Burnout and fatigue are lowering productivity for almost one‑third of Irish workers and 27 % of global respondents. Consequently, nearly 20 % of global participants and 22 % of Irish workers plan to change employer within the next year, while over a third of the Irish cohort are extremely likely to seek a pay rise or promotion.

Laoise Mullane, director of workforce consulting and AI adoption lead at PwC Ireland, said that workers using AI regularly report higher confidence, ambition and optimism, and urged leaders to ensure AI benefits are shared across the workforce.

Source: Silicon Republic. Photo: Burak The Weekender / Pexels.