AI reshapes global labour market into two distinct paths, rewarding human skills: PwC 2026 AI Jobs Barometer

AI is driving a productivity boom – and “super-star” companies most able to use AI are pulling ahead significantly

The report finds widening divergence between companies most and least exposed to AI. Companies operating in the most AI-exposed sectors recorded 34% productivity growth in 2025 relative to 2018, compared to 24% for the companies least able to use AI.

Within this group, a pronounced “super-star” effect is emerging. 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 most AI-exposed companies overall.

Perhaps most surprisingly, headcount growth at the most AI-exposed companies is outpacing growth at the least AI-exposed companies – 52% relative to 36% in 2025, based on 2018 baseline levels.

Average wage premium for AI skills hits 62% as AI job postings eclipse broader labour market growth

As companies continue to boost productivity with AI, the average wage premium for workers with AI skills continued to surge higher – hitting 62%, up from 57% last year.

The wage premium varies by industry: as high as 118% in some sectors, such as consumer markets, and 16% in government and public sector work.

Jobs requiring specific AI skills – such as prompt engineering or machine learning – have also soared, growing roughly eight times (69%) as fast as the overall jobs market, at 9%. The number of AI jobs is almost twice as high as 2024, with growth in AI jobs outpacing all jobs since 2015.

Sectors including technology, media and telecommunications (11%) and professional services (6%) sectors saw the highest share in AI job growth – with health at the lowest end (less than 1%)