Human skills increasingly in demand as AI reshapes labour market, PwC finds

As AI takes on more routine tasks, employers are placing a higher premium on judgment, creativity and leadership, according to a new PwC report. Uniquely human capabilities such as judgment, creativity and leadership are becoming more valuable as artificial intelligence fundamentally reshapes the workforce, according to PwC's 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer, released on Monday. The findings come amid growing debate about how AI will reshape the job market and the skills employers need. Joe Atkinson, Global Chief AI Officer at PwC, said: "Across the global economy, we're beginning to see a new divide emerge between different models for talent and value creation." The report, based on an analysis of more than one billion job postings across six continents, suggests AI is creating a two-speed jobs market. One category includes roles where AI handles routine tasks but still relies heavily on human expertise and judgment. These so-called "professionalised" jobs include occupations such as radiologists and recruiters. The second category, described by PwC as "democratised" roles, includes jobs where AI makes it easier for less experienced workers to perform tasks. Examples include IT service managers and medical secretaries. According to PwC, professionalised roles have seen job growth at twice the rate of democratised roles. Salaries in professionalised occupations have also risen 42% faster. The findings are broadly in line with other international research. The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 found that 39% of workers' core skills are expected to change by 2030, with analytical thinking, leadership, resilience and creative thinking among the fastest-growing capabilities sought by employers. AI brings more jobs, not fewer, the report says PwC's report argues that companies making the most effective use of AI are pulling ahead in both productivity and hiring, suggesting the technology can create value beyond simple automation. Atkinson said, "The companies seeing the greatest returns on AI are using it to amplify human expertise, accelerate innovation and create entirely new sources of value", adding that these companies see increased productivity and growth. According to PwC's analysis, the top 20% of the most AI-exposed companies achieved average labour productivity growth of 163% relative to 2018 — nearly five times higher than the average among AI-exposed firms overall. The findings also challenge concerns that AI will slow hiring or trigger widespread job cuts. Businesses with the highest exposure to AI recorded headcount growth of 52% compared with 36% among the least AI-exposed firms, relative to 2018 levels. Wage growth was also stronger, at 24% versus 17%. The findings come as major employers continue to reshape their workforces around AI. This year alone, companies including Meta, Cisco, Oracle and Citigroup have announced thousands of job cuts as they invest heavily in artificial intelligence and seek to improve productivity. AI expertise drives higher salaries Demand for workers with AI skills continues to rise sharply. Jobs requiring specific AI expertise have grown by 69% since 2019 — almost eight times faster than the overall jobs market, which expanded by 9% over the same period. The average wage premium attached to AI skills has also increased to 62%, the report found. The wage premium varies significantly by industry, reaching as high as 118% in consumer markets and falling to 16% in government and public sector roles. Jobs requiring AI skills, such as prompt engineering and machine learning, have nearly doubled since 2024, with growth in AI-related roles outpacing overall job growth since 2015. The technology, media and telecommunications sector accounted for the largest share of AI job growth at 11%, followed by professional services at 6%. Healthcare recorded the lowest share, at less than 1%. The report also points to changes at the start of the career ladder. An analysis of 2.4 million entry-level jobs in the US found that positions most exposed to AI are now seven times more likely to require skills traditionally associated with more senior staff, including leadership, creativity and interpersonal communication. Demand for these entry-level roles has increased by 35% since 2019, while vacancies for other entry-level jobs have fallen by 10%, according to the report. The findings may raise questions about how younger workers gain experience in the workplace. Some experts have warned that if AI takes over routine entry-level tasks, employers may increasingly expect junior staff to demonstrate higher-level skills earlier in their careers.