AI reshapes job market as employers prioritize human skills like judgement and creativity over tech

AI is rapidly reshaping the skills employers want most from workers -- and shockingly enough, so-called 'human' skills might be more in demand

Employers are looking for judgement, leadership and adaptability * Senior-level skills like judgement and leadership are now in-demand for entry-level workers, too * Strong AI adopters are seeing considerable growth in productivity * Companies must continue to invest in human upskilling New data from PwC analyzing more than one billion job ads across six continents, has found professionalized roles where AI automated parts of the work are seeing a huge uptick in job performance, including 2x faster job growth and 42% faster wage growth. The report notes using AI as automation for administrative tasks makes human work even more valuable, and this is already being seen in the types of skills employers are seeking. Judgement, leadership, creativity, adaptability and personalized communication are among the skills most sought-after, with AI systems ultimately unable to replicate these. AI isn't replacing your job - human skills are still in high demand With AI tools replacing some of the repetitive, low-value work that humans have been doing for decades, PwC says that AI-exposed entry-level roles are now 7x more likely to require senior-level skills like the ones mentioned above. Even though more work is being handed off to computers, PwC found that workers at companies most exposed to AI were more likely to see wage growth. The heaviest adopters have seen a 163% increase in labor productivity growth compared with 2018. "The companies seeing the greatest returns on AI are using it to amplify human expertise, accelerate innovation and create entirely new sources of value," Global Chief AI Officer Joe Atkinson said. Global Workforce Leader Pete Brown reiterated the demand for "judgement, leadership and adaptability," which are now in-demand for entry-level workers as much as senior staff. "Organizations need to rethink how they develop talent if they want people to thrive in this new environment." PwC's study is just one in a growing number implying jobs aren't under threat - they're just evolving. However it also highlights the relevance of human skills and the need for employer-backed training to help workers thrive in an AI-first workplace. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.

The skills employers value most in the AI era may surprise you

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.