In the 2026 labor market, the key to success will be rapid learning and flexible adaptation to change—according to the ManpowerGroup report published today, “Salary Report 2026. Labor Market Trends – The Human Advantage.” Employees and companies that do not update their competencies at a pace matching market evolution quickly fall behind. The year 2026 will bring high employee expectations, greater selectivity from employers, and the growing importance of qualifications. At the same time, wage growth dynamics remain stable, and companies are cautiously planning raise budgets while awaiting new pay regulations. The report’s partner is rocketjobs.pl.

Hybrid superteams and rapid learning are the new priorities of the labor market

The labor market is accelerating toward a model that can be described with two slogans—hybrid superteams and rapid learning. Although 61% of employers worldwide plan to increase investments in automation, technology still requires human oversight. From a global perspective, by 2030, 39% of key skills will change, and the hardest to automate remain ethical judgment, customer service, and team management. At the same time, the importance of project-based work is growing, and by 2027 even half of workers in developed countries may operate in the gig model. The response to these changes is rapid learning. Currently, only 44% of employees have participated in training in the last six months. The transformation is accompanied both by pressure for productivity and by a focus on wellbeing—63% of employees experience burnout, and low engagement costs $438 billion globally.

- The most important competency today is not what we know, but the speed at which we can absorb new tools and ways of working. What worked two years ago may no longer be enough today. Those who can get into the rhythm of change faster are the ones who win. If companies and employees want to keep up with the market, they must update competencies more efficiently, flexibly change direction, and treat transformation as a permanent element of operations – says Tomasz Walenczak, Managing Director of ManpowerGroup Poland. - We are observing changing work norms. Work no longer has one model; candidates, companies, their expectations, pace of life, and pressure are changing. At the same time, tasks are becoming increasingly modular, easier to divide, combine, and scale. Automation accelerates this process by taking over some tasks, while people integrate them into the final outcome. The traditional employment model, based on fixed roles, standard working hours, and long-term predictability, is evolving – adds the head of ManpowerGroup Poland.

- We are still at the stage of predicting the potential of artificial intelligence, not measuring its real impact, especially in the context of productivity. Organizations may implement advanced AI systems, but without employees capable of rapid adaptation, value creation slows down and, in extreme cases, stops. As with previous technological revolutions, using AI’s potential at scale depends primarily on the people who use it, not solely on its technical capabilities. This shows that the limitation is organizational readiness and learning ability. Technological progress brings results only when people use it. The future of work is not about replacing people with technology, but about collaboration between people and intelligent systems. Technology increases capabilities, but outcomes depend on how people learn, adapt, and use new tools – comments a company representative.

Declining trust in leaders – is this a warning signal for companies?

Global data shows that mandatory return-to-office increases turnover, especially among women, and filling on-site positions takes 23% more time than hybrid ones. Trust in employers is also declining—68% of employees believe business leaders intentionally mislead them. By 2030, more than one quarter of workers in developed countries will be over 55, while only 39% of Generation X and 56% of millennials aspire to managerial roles. Global markets still lack mechanisms for transferring knowledge from experienced employees, and traditional university education is increasingly less likely to prepare graduates for work—more than half of Generation Z fear automation will take their jobs.

- The biggest challenge for companies today is not enforcing office presence, but the ability to maintain employee engagement and retention. Data shows growing expectations regarding flexibility, role mobility, and skills development, although many organizations still struggle to meet them. The future of the labor market is not about choosing between office presence and remote work, but about creating an environment in which people want and are able to co-create value, regardless of where they work. Flexibility, transparency, and the ability to share knowledge are becoming key factors of competitive advantage. In the longer term, a demographic and competency problem also emerges. Without effective mechanisms for transferring knowledge and experience, companies face a shortage of leaders and experts in key areas. In this context, Poland stands out from global trends: although it seems we have a large group of young people aspiring to promotion, fewer and fewer of them want to take on responsibility. This is a huge challenge for every organization, because future competencies are technology, responsibility, decision-making, and collaboration. Technology scales what we have, but if we don’t have leaders, it scales chaos – concludes Tomasz Walenczak.

As Dagna Frydrych, head of marketing at rocketjobs.pl & justjoin.it, notes, remote work, until recently a standard in many industries, is becoming a niche. – On rocketjobs.pl, only 9% of postings offer fully remote work. Even in IT, where remote mode seemed obvious, employers increasingly expect office presence. The number of hybrid offers has increased by 29%. For candidates, this means a simple calculation: on-site or hybrid offers are now the safer choice, while attractive remote positions will be the domain of a minority. At the same time, we observe an interesting phenomenon at the level of candidate behavior. Although there is talk of the phenomenon called job hugging, i.e., staying with an employer out of a need for stability rather than loyalty, the number of applications on our platforms is growing. We interpret this as an attempt to improve one’s economic situation and keep a finger on the pulse in uncertain times. Along with the influx of a larger number of applications, there has been a significant shift in the balance of power: employers have become more selective and attach greater importance to each recruitment process. Candidates no longer choose; they are chosen from among many, which is particularly painfully felt by juniors, for whom there are the fewest offers on the market, while entry requirements remain high – adds the expert.

Salaries 2026 – candidates expect more, companies act cautiously

The year 2026 in the labor market will be a time of high employee expectations, greater employer selectivity, and the growing importance of competencies. As Katarzyna Pączkowska, Permanent Recruitment Director at Manpower notes, employees entered the new year hoping to improve their financial situation, and in the face of rising living costs, they increasingly count on pay raises. - This is influenced, among other things, by regulations on pay transparency, which have increased wage awareness and made it easier to navigate market salary ranges. At the same time, we are observing growing complexity of roles and expectations toward candidates, as well as constant pressure on team efficiency. This means employees expect an adequate valuation of their work, although their growing aspirations often outpace companies’ budget capabilities – says the expert.

– Wage growth dynamics remain similar to those of a year ago, and wage pressure is lower than in the post-pandemic years. Companies are approaching raise budgets cautiously, also taking into account upcoming pay-related regulations. New regulations, which will come into force this year, require HR departments to prepare extensively in terms of job evaluation and building coherent pay policies. It can confidently be said that 2026 will once again be a period in which competencies will be the key differentiator in the labor market. Candidates with unique technical and analytical experience and scarce qualifications will maintain a negotiation advantage and will still be able to count on attractive offers. At the same time, employers will invest more cautiously in acquiring new talent, placing greater emphasis on development and upskilling of current employees – adds the labor market expert.

– The mismatch between employees’ salary expectations and employers’ capabilities will not, however, be the main motivator for seeking a new job. Employment stability, development opportunities, attractive benefits packages, and flexibility are playing an increasingly greater role. The work environment and organizational culture are also of significant importance – summarizes Katarzyna Pączkowska.

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