Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026

From AI adoption to real advantage

The takeaways

• A large core, a small leading group. Almost seven in ten Swiss workers (69%) sit in the Core Workforce with low AI advantage and low talent-market advantage compared with 56% globally. Only 8% are Frontrunners, against 14% globally.
• Strong AI adoption, limited gains so far. Daily generative AI use is higher in Switzerland (28% versus 22% globally), yet only 14% of Swiss workers feel energised or empowered by AI (versus 19% globally), and far fewer report improvements in work quality, skills, or the value they bring to their employer.
• Stable but cautious. Swiss workers feel secure in their roles today and less exposed to global disruption. However, engagement is weaker, trust in leadership is lower, and financial pressures still weigh on many.

PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026 shows a workplace that’s changing fast as AI spreads. In Switzerland, the picture is distinct. The workforce is highly skilled, specialised, and relatively protected from many global pressures – but it’s also more cautious than the global average.

Switzerland is a "big Core, small Frontrunner" economy. Using the global archetype methodology, 69% of Swiss workers fall into the Core Workforce – those with low AI advantage and low talent-market advantage – compared with 56% globally. Only 8% are Frontrunners, with high AI and high talent-market advantage, versus 14% globally. The remainder is made up of 12% Tech First workers and 11% Talent First workers. The highly empowered group who use AI and drive optimism elsewhere is around half the size in Switzerland, while the large, stable Core group is noticeably bigger.

This structural profile explains much of what follows: why AI use is high but enthusiasm is muted, and why engagement and motivation are lower. Swiss Frontrunners are also more senior, concentrated among senior executives (2.5x) and information-technology roles (1.8x). This suggests that AI advantage in Switzerland sits mainly at the top of organisations and in technology roles, rather than being spread across the wider workforce.

Demographic overview of worker archetypes in Switzerland

Switzerland’s workforce is more specialised and less standardised than the global average. Fewer Swiss workers say their core tasks are standardised and repeatable, which reflects the high share of specialised, knowledge-based roles. In this context, learning new skills tends to be rewarded more strongly than among global peers. Yet only 13% strongly agree it would be easy to find a new job externally, compared with 22% globally. Specialised expertise creates value, but it’s often less transferable across employers.

Motivation and engagement are a clear challenge, but they also create an opportunity for change. Job satisfaction is in line with global levels, with 31% very satisfied and 33% moderately satisfied. However, engagement indicators tell a different story. Only 20% of Swiss workers consistently go beyond their formal responsibilities, compared with 28% globally. Just 23% always feel proud of their work, compared with 35% globally, and only 14% always look forward to work, compared with 26% globally. These gaps show where organisations can act to reshape how people feel about work and spark higher engagement.

The pattern is uneven. Around 28% of Swiss workers are in a low-motivation group – concentrated in operations roles (1.5x), smaller firms with 10–49 employees (1.3x), and entry-level non-managers (1.2x). Around 18% are highly motivated and are more likely to work in research and development (1.8x), skilled trades (1.4x), and consumer-markets roles (1.3x).

Your next move

Focus on strengthening purpose, recognition, and development to rebuild energy, commitment, and discretionary effort. Target your action where disengagement is most concentrated, rather than applying a single, one-size-fits-all approach.

AI use in Switzerland now matches global levels, and daily use of generative AI is even higher at 28% compared with 22% globally. Yet this use is not yet delivering the expected benefits: only 14% of Swiss workers say AI leaves them feeling energised, empowered, or more confident, compared with 19% globally.

Swiss workers are also less convinced about the benefits of AI for their work. They’re less likely to expect big improvements in work quality (10% vs 18%), skills (9% vs 15%), creativity (9% vs 16%), the value they bring to their employer (7% vs 14%), and job security (8% vs 11%). Only 22% say AI helps them deal with more complex and difficult tasks, compared with 29% globally.

Your next move

Act decisively to move beyond driving basic AI use and focus on turning AI into real value. Do this through clear, relevant use cases, targeted training, straightforward guidance, and by involving employees in AI-supported ways of working. PwC’s AI Performance Study finds that the most AI-fit companies achieve 7.2 times higher AI-driven performance than others because they redesign workflows and reward testing and learning, rather than simply adding AI tools.

There’s a clear gap in future skills clarity in Switzerland. Only 19% of Swiss workers strongly agree that they understand the skills they’ll need in the future, compared with 25% globally. They also report lower confidence in developing new skills and less perceived access to learning and development resources (23% vs 26% globally).

Trust in leadership and transparency remain major challenges. Swiss workers are less likely to strongly agree that they trust their manager (21%) or top management (17%), compared with 26% and 23% globally. Only 22% say they’re completely clear about how their performance is evaluated, versus 34% globally. At the same time, 28% strongly agree that organisations should have a positive impact on society, compared with 18% globally – showing a strong sense of social expectation.

Swiss workers feel secure in their roles today but stay cautious about what’s coming next. They’re confident about their personal job security over the next 12 months, slightly above global levels, but they’re less optimistic about demand for roles like theirs over the next three years. This uncertainty may be especially important for young talent who are working through rapidly changing career paths.

Swiss workers also appear less exposed to global disruptions than their peers. Around half see external threats such as economic volatility (17% major, 33% moderate), AI taking on more tasks (41%), automation (38%), and offshoring (36%) as less severe than workers globally. Yet financial pressure is still high. The share of Swiss workers who can pay their bills and have money left over at the end of the month has dropped to 33%, down from 39% a year earlier, and cost-of-living pressures continue to weigh on engagement and productivity.

Your next move

You can build confidence and trust by being more transparent about workforce planning, future skills, and performance expectations, encouraging two-way communication, showing clear societal impact, and supporting employees’ financial wellbeing alongside job security.

Swiss workers place high value on workplace culture, relationships, and autonomy. Pay and benefits remain the top priority (46%), but a positive work environment and strong relationships are close behind (44% vs 40% globally). Swiss workers also place more importance on flexibility over when and where they work (35% vs 29% globally), and on having meaning and purpose in their work (28% vs 23% globally).

Their choices show this clearly. Over half (54%) say a negative workplace culture is a dealbreaker, and 40% would not accept increased monitoring of their work (vs 26% globally).

When it comes to remote work, a slightly higher share of Swiss workers say their role could be performed remotely if allowed – but fewer prefer to work fully remotely (12% vs 19% globally). Flexibility, rather than fully remote models, remains a core part of the Swiss employee value proposition.

Your next move

For employers, creating a strong workplace culture, protecting autonomy, building trust, and offering flexible working options – rather than fully remote models – can be as important as competitive pay when you’re trying to attract, engage, and retain talent.

About the survey

PwC's Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2026 captured the views of 49,364 workers across 48 countries and regions and 29 sectors in May and June 2026. Figures are weighted to match the working population's gender and age distribution in each country or region.

This page focuses on the Switzerland findings from that global survey, based on responses from 996 workers in Switzerland. The Swiss sample was broadly balanced by gender (53% male, 47% female) and included all generations – 42% Millennials, 34% Gen X, 19% Gen Z, and 4% Baby Boomers. Most respondents were in full-time employment (74%), with a further 24% working part-time. They represented a range of seniority levels (42% non-managers, 28% managers, 17% senior executives, and 12% entry-level non-managers) and tenures, with more than half employed by their organisation for over five years. In terms of background, 49% held a vocational or trade qualification, 27% were university graduates, and 14% held a postgraduate qualification. Respondents worked across sectors, led by Consumer Markets and Industrials & Services (each 23%), followed by Financial Services and Government & Public Services (each 13%).