PwC Survey Reveals Workforce Split Into 4 Groups as 56% Fall Behind on AI Skills

Workforce Splits Into Four Distinct Groups Based on AI Skills

A comprehensive PwC survey tracking AI adoption in the workplace has revealed a concerning trend: while 64% of workers have used AI at work in the past year, access to AI training has declined significantly1

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. The Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey, which polled 49,364 workers across 48 countries and regions between May and June, found that only 51% of employees can now access the learning and development resources they need—a sharp drop from 59% the previous year1

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The research identifies four distinct categories emerging in modern workplaces. Front-runners, representing 14% of the workforce, possess scarce skills and strong AI capabilities2

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. AI insurgents make up 18% and leverage AI to deliver more value despite having less scarce skills1

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. The indispensables, at 11%, command highly valued experience and skills but haven't progressed far with AI1

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. The largest segment, the engine room, comprises 56% of workers who lack both scarce skills and substantial AI experience2

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Daily AI Users Experience Higher Job Security and Confidence

The data reveals stark differences in how workers falling behind on AI skills perceive their career prospects. Daily AI users report 68% confidence in job security compared to just 57% among infrequent users—an 11-point gap1

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. These frequent users are also 15 points more likely to trust top management and 21 points more confident in their ability to learn new skills1

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Generative AI usage has surged, with daily users rising from 14% to 22% year-over-year1

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. Nearly 60% of participating employees expect their usage rates to climb further in 20272

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. Front-runners demonstrate particularly strong career ambitions, being 33 points more likely than average to request promotions, with 29% planning to change employers within the next year1

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Engine Room Workers Face Limited Access to Innovation

The engine room segment faces the most significant barriers to advancement. Only two in five of these workers reported having access to the learning resources they need1

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. Peter Brown, PwC's global workforce leader, emphasized the severity of this divide: "They're not getting the same access to learning. They're not getting the opportunity to innovate. They are not getting to use AI in a meaningful way"1

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This growing disparity in access to AI training threatens to create lasting workplace friction as automation reshapes careers. Workers identified economic volatility as their primary concern at 57%, outweighing fears about AI taking on more tasks at 44%1

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. Financial pressures compound these challenges, with only a third of respondents having money left at month's end, and 27% citing fatigue or burnout as productivity limiters1

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Organizations Must Address Widening Skills Gap

Brown warned that "there is a real risk that the global workforce is starting to move at different speeds"1

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. The implications extend beyond individual career trajectories to organizational stability and innovation capacity. Companies investing heavily in AI adoption in the workplace must now confront whether their training infrastructure matches their technological ambitions. PwC itself, which employs more than 360,000 people, is actively reshaping its workforce by hiring fewer consultants and accountants as it adopts AI1

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. Watch for increased pressure on employers to democratize AI training access and prevent the permanent stratification of their workforces into haves and have-nots.