PwC finds AI-exposed firms are growing headcount faster
PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer reports stronger productivity and employment growth in firms whose work is more exposed to AI.
AI exposure is not yet translating into blanket workforce cuts. PwC’s June 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer found that AI-exposed firms recorded 40% higher productivity and headcount growth of 52%, compared with 36% in less-exposed firms.
The report describes a two-track labour market. AI-exposed roles are changing towards skills such as empathy and creativity, while AI specialist positions are expanding rapidly. PwC said wage growth was also stronger in AI-exposed firms, without suggesting every role or employer benefits equally.
The International Labour Organization’s June research reached a more cautious conclusion: large-scale displacement remains limited so far, but productivity gains are uneven and younger workers may face reduced opportunities. Together, the findings point to job redesign and redeployment—not automatic redundancies—as a significant near-term response to AI adoption.
For employers, the practical test is whether technology permanently removes duties and reduces the need for particular roles, or instead changes the work and skills required.
- PwC reported 40% higher productivity in AI-exposed firms.
- Headcount growth was 52% in AI-exposed firms versus 36% in less-exposed firms.
- AI-exposed roles are shifting towards human skills including empathy and creativity.
- The ILO said large-scale displacement remains limited so far, with uneven productivity gains.
For employers: Before proposing an AI-driven redundancy, document the duties genuinely removed, consult affected employees before deciding, and assess suitable redeployment or reskilling. A role changing because of AI is not automatically a genuine redundancy under Australian law.
Sources: 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer: Global findings · The impact of generative AI on jobs, productivity and work organisation: A review of empirical evidence
General information for employers, not legal advice. Reporting summarised from the linked sources; confirm details with the primary source.