Adecco Group Workforce Trends 2026 Report Highlights Shift Toward Security and Fair Pay

Adecco Group Workforce Trends 2026 Report Highlights Shift Toward Security and Fair Pay

(IN BRIEF) The Adecco Group’s Workforce Trends 2026 Report reveals a shift in worker priorities toward job security, fair pay and employer support for adaptability, signalling the end of the “great resignation” era. Based on global research across 31 countries, the report highlights changing attitudes to flexibility, a rebalancing between blue- and white-collar pay confidence, and persistent gaps in internal mobility, offering guidance for organisations seeking to retain talent and build resilient workforces.

(PRESS RELEASE) ZURICH, 8-Jan-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The Adecco Group has released its Workforce Trends 2026 Report, offering new insight into how employee priorities are shifting in response to ongoing economic uncertainty and rapid workplace transformation. Drawing on responses from 37,500 workers and 2,000 senior executives across 31 countries, the report signals a decisive move away from the dynamics of the “great resignation” toward a renewed focus on ambition underpinned by stability and security.

According to the findings, workers continue to seek growth, purpose and flexibility, but these ambitions are now firmly anchored in non-negotiable fundamentals such as reliable income, job security and employer support for adaptability. Fair and dependable pay has emerged as a defining factor in retention, overtaking personal fulfilment as the primary consideration for many employees.

The research highlights a notable rebalancing within the labour market. For the first time in several years, blue-collar workers report greater confidence in their pay levels than white-collar employees, reflecting strong demand for skilled manual labour and more cautious salary expectations for professional roles. This shift is echoed by executives, many of whom anticipate slower wage growth for white-collar positions going forward.

Flexibility remains critical, but the report shows that expectations vary by career stage. Senior leaders tend to prioritise location flexibility, while younger and more junior workers place greater value on control over working hours. At the same time, organisations face mounting pressure to support workforce agility as employees seek reassurance that they can adapt to change without sacrificing stability.

Despite the emphasis on retention and development, the report identifies persistent challenges around internal mobility. A majority of organisations struggle to move employees into new roles, often due to limited visibility into existing skills and capabilities. This lack of insight reinforces a tendency to hire externally rather than develop talent internally, undermining both job security and organisational resilience.

Denis Machuel, Chief Executive Officer of The Adecco Group, said the findings reflect a pivotal moment for employers, with workers clearly signalling the need for stability, fairness and meaningful opportunities to grow. He noted that organisations that balance technological investment with human-centred strategies will be better positioned to lead through ongoing change.

The report outlines four strategic priorities for organisations navigating the future of work: aligning workforce strategy with the rise of AI, competing effectively for talent through equitable pay and work-life balance, strengthening internal mobility and upskilling, and embedding inclusion, wellbeing and purpose into talent strategies. Together, these imperatives are presented as essential to building agile, resilient and competitive organisations in the years ahead.

The full Workforce Trends 2026 report is available here.

About this report:

The Adecco Group Workforce Trends 2026 report draws on the Adecco Group’s robust research Global Workforce of the Future 2025, conducted from July to August 2025, surveying workers and executives across 31 countries. The findings provide actionable recommendations for HR leaders and decision-makers to build agile, inclusive, and competitive organisations.

About The Adecco Group

The Adecco Group is the world’s leading talent and technology expertise company. Our purpose is making the future work for everyone. Through our three global business units – Adecco, Akkodis and LHH – across 60 countries, we enable sustainable and lifelong employability for individuals, deliver digital and engineering consulting solutions to power transformation and empower organisations to optimise their workforces. The Adecco Group leads by example and is committed to fostering sustainable employability and supporting resilient economies and communities. The Adecco Group AG is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland (ISIN: CH0012138605) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ADEN).
https://www.adeccogroup.com/

Media Contact:

Jürg Schneider
Group Head External Communications, The Adecco Group
media@adeccogroup.com
Tel: +41 (0) 79 876 09 21

SOURCE: Adecco Group