PwC: Workers Embrace AI, Upskilling as ‘Great Resignation’ Enters Third Year

A recent PwC survey reveals that 28% of over 56,000 workers globally expect to change employers within the next 12 months, a higher rate than during the “Great Resignation” period of 2022.

This compares to 19% in 2022 and 26% in 2023. PwC’s 2024 “Hopes and Fears” survey highlights a trend where workers are increasingly embracing emerging technologies like generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) and are prioritizing upskilling amid rising workloads and workplace uncertainties.

Pete Brown, global workforce leader at PwC UK, emphasizes the importance of organizations investing in skill development and employee experience to retain talent. This is in response to workers placing a higher value on companies that support their growth.

The survey shows that 45% of respondents have experienced rising workloads and an accelerating pace of workplace change over the last year, with 62% noting more change compared to the previous year.

Employees who use GenAI daily are particularly optimistic, with 82% expecting it to increase their efficiency in the next 12 months. Nearly half of the surveyed workers believe that GenAI will lead to higher salaries, and almost two-thirds hope that these tools will improve the quality of their work.

Carol Stubbings, global markets and tax and legal services leader at PwC UK, suggests that employers need to invest in staff and technology platforms to alleviate pressures and retain their workforce, as job satisfaction alone is no longer sufficient to keep employees engaged and loyal.