Executive Summary
General Overview
Top Reasons Employees Stay:
Employee attraction and organizational culture remain key strengths. Nearly 77% of employees report their organization attracts talent moderately well or better, and a majority report enjoying their work and feeling aligned with their employer. These findings reinforce results from the 2025 employer-focused study, where most organizations expressed confidence in their ability to attract and retain employees. However, the 2026 workforce perspective suggests retention risk may be higher than employers realize. More than 50% of employees report they are somewhat or extremely likely to leave their current job within the next six months, signaling increased mobility risk compared to employer expectations in 2025. Employee Attraction Strengths Amid Rising Retention Risk
The information to the left summarizes responses across several related questions. The graph shown here represents one of those questions.
Top Reasons Employees Leave:
Turnover Driven by Pay, Advancement, Flexibility, and Burnout Gaps
*The primary reasons employees consider leaving their jobs are better pay (55%), stress or burnout (45%), limited advancement opportunities (42%), and desire for greater flexibility (40%). The emphasis on higher pay and job security likely reflects broader economic pressures, including inflation-driven increases in the cost of goods and a moderating job market that has heightened worker sensitivity to financial stability and long-term security. In a slower hiring environment, employees appear more focused on compensation strength and organizational stability when evaluating new opportunities.
The information to the right summarizes responses across several related questions. The graph shown here represents one of those questions.
Use of AI
Technology readiness and workforce capability remain ongoing challenges. Many employees say their workplace technology does not fully meet their needs, and adoption of emerging tools like artificial intelligence is slowed by limited training and time to build new skills. At the same time, hiring slowed in 2025 despite strong labor force participation. This makes it even more important to ensure workforce growth leads to high- quality, good-paying jobs that support long-term economic mobility. Technology Readiness and Job Quality Shape Future Workforce Competitiveness
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*This information is derived from multiple survey questions; the associated graph represents only one of those items.
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