FlexJobs®’ 2026 Future of Work Report highlights that while AI is reshaping priorities toward adaptability, upskilling, and human-centered skills, its day-to-day impact remains limited for most workers. The report found that 42% of professionals are concerned about AI-driven job displacement, yet 75% say they have not experienced any job changes due to AI.
In fact, the survey of over 4,000 U.S. respondents found only 6% of workers said they have experienced changes in their role because of AI, while another 6% shared that both their role and that of someone they know have been affected.
“One of the biggest concerns we consistently hear from today’s workers is AI-driven job loss,” said Keith Spencer, Career Expert at FlexJobs. “While understandable with AI advancements impacting key industries, the reality is that most professionals aren’t seeing the same level or type of job disruption just yet,” Spencer added.
AI Usage Remains Limited Across the Workforce: In FlexJobs’ Future of Work Report, nearly half of workers (47%) said none of their work currently involves using AI tools, underscoring the early stage of adoption in many workplaces. Others report limited AI use:
- 24% use AI for a small portion of their work.
- 22% rely on AI for some of their work.
- 7% revert to AI for most (5%) or all (2%) of their work.
AI Use in Job Searching Is Up: Slightly more than half of job seekers said they do not use AI at all in their job search. However, adoption is increasing in specific areas:
- 25% use AI to write or improve their resume (up from 19% in 2024).
- 10% use AI to explore new career paths.
- 7% use it to prepare for interviews.
- 6% use AI tools to apply for jobs.
AI in Hiring Practices Still Relatively Uncommon: Despite employer experimentation with AI in hiring and recruiting, such as AI interviews and resume screening, the majority (71%) of respondents said they have never experienced AI in a job interview. Conversely, the survey found:
- 17% have personally experienced AI in interviews.
- 7% said both they and someone they know have encountered it.
- 5% said they know someone who has experienced it.
Workers Find Greater Value In Human Skills: Even with limited adoption, AI is influencing how workers think about their careers. When asked how AI has shifted their perspective:
- 37% said AI makes them value human skills more.
- 27% said it motivates them to learn new skills more quickly.
- 18% said it has made them question their long-term career path.
- 9% said it makes them want more control over their time and attention.
- 9% said it has prompted them to change or consider changing industries.
For more information, please visit https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/future-of-work-report
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