ManpowerGroup Announces "Market Trend Report on the Future of Work"
ManpowerGroup, a comprehensive human resources service provider, has released "The Human Advantage," a labor white paper summarizing 16 key trends impacting the labor market from 2026 onwards. It emphasizes the importance of productivity improvement through AI utilization and role redesign through human-AI collaboration, presenting challenges for companies and governments.
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- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 18:30
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ManpowerGroup Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Makoto Yoshida; hereinafter "ManpowerGroup"), a comprehensive human resources service provider, today announced "The Human Advantage," a labor white paper summarizing 16 key trends that will impact the future labor market, centered on four dynamics that shape the labor market: "Building excellent hybrid teams," "Rapid reskilling," "Changing norms," and "The crisis surrounding successor talent."
Changes in the labor market and impact on employers and the workforce from 2026 onwards
ManpowerGroup's "Talent Shortage Survey" announced in February 2026 revealed that the most difficult hard skills for global employers to recruit are "AI model development and application development (20%)" and "AI literacy (19%)". There is a growing demand for talent who can improve productivity in traditional tasks by appropriately utilizing AI. On the other hand, a key challenge for companies is how to combine technological automation with the provision of added value by humans.
Based on these environmental changes, we provide guidelines for companies and organizations to formulate future workforce strategies based on 16 major trends that will affect future work styles. We will explain particularly noteworthy trends in detail.
Four factors affecting work styles: Building excellent hybrid teams
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 1: Redesigning Roles
According to ManpowerGroup's "ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q2 2025," areas that global employers consider particularly difficult to automate include "ethical judgment" (33%), "customer service" (31%), and "team management" (30%). With the advancement of new technologies, it is expected that efforts to redesign roles and tasks will progress, leveraging the strengths of both humans and AI.
Implications for the workforce
When proceeding with job redesign, it is important for management and employees to have a common sense of purpose and to work systematically. It is necessary to break down job content, clearly assign appropriate roles to humans and AI respectively, and design new job classifications and roles.
Four factors affecting work styles: Rapid reskilling
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 8: Reskilling Re-evaluated
According to ManpowerGroup's "ManpowerGroup Global Talent Barometer," 62% of workers want to pursue their career goals with their current employer. Meanwhile, employers are also developing diverse options to promote upskilling, such as introducing vocational training systems that allow employees to acquire necessary skills while continuing their work, and tuition subsidies to support obtaining qualifications at affiliated educational institutions.
Implications for the workforce
Full-time employees have the advantage of being able to utilize advanced learning management systems that provide advice on skill improvement and upskilling programs. On the other hand, part-time workers, freelancers, and the unemployed face disparities in such skill acquisition opportunities, and government institutional support and environmental development are important for resolving this gap.
Four factors affecting work styles: Changing norms
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 11: Equity Gap
According to the 2025 UN report, while some progress has been made in poverty reduction, many people remain in unstable living conditions even after their income levels have improved. Economic shocks and chronic inflation bring anxiety to many people, and an opaque situation involving complex factors has become the norm.
Implications for the workforce
Management bears the responsibility of appropriately operating strategies to enhance wage equity and transparency, and to ensure fair treatment across all positions and job types. Employers are also required to adopt an attitude of providing comprehensive and sustainable benefits to their employees.
Four factors affecting work styles: The crisis surrounding successor talent
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 16: Dwindling leadership talent
What companies are currently seeking is talent with the knowledge and experience to introduce technology when necessary and maximize its effectiveness. Meanwhile, Generation X, who are expected to be the next generation of executives, are limited in number, and younger Millennials, who are responsible for middle management, are seen to be struggling with conflicting priorities, including work and private life.
Implications for the workforce
From 2026 to 2030, the demand for senior managers, who are trusted advisors for companies, will increase.
Changes in the labor market and impact on employers and the workforce from 2026 onwards
ManpowerGroup's "Talent Shortage Survey" announced in February 2026 revealed that the most difficult hard skills for global employers to recruit are "AI model development and application development (20%)" and "AI literacy (19%)". There is a growing demand for talent who can improve productivity in traditional tasks by appropriately utilizing AI. On the other hand, a key challenge for companies is how to combine technological automation with the provision of added value by humans.
Based on these environmental changes, we provide guidelines for companies and organizations to formulate future workforce strategies based on 16 major trends that will affect future work styles. We will explain particularly noteworthy trends in detail.
Four factors affecting work styles: Building excellent hybrid teams
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 1: Redesigning Roles
According to ManpowerGroup's "ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q2 2025," areas that global employers consider particularly difficult to automate include "ethical judgment" (33%), "customer service" (31%), and "team management" (30%). With the advancement of new technologies, it is expected that efforts to redesign roles and tasks will progress, leveraging the strengths of both humans and AI.
Implications for the workforce
When proceeding with job redesign, it is important for management and employees to have a common sense of purpose and to work systematically. It is necessary to break down job content, clearly assign appropriate roles to humans and AI respectively, and design new job classifications and roles.
Four factors affecting work styles: Rapid reskilling
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 8: Reskilling Re-evaluated
According to ManpowerGroup's "ManpowerGroup Global Talent Barometer," 62% of workers want to pursue their career goals with their current employer. Meanwhile, employers are also developing diverse options to promote upskilling, such as introducing vocational training systems that allow employees to acquire necessary skills while continuing their work, and tuition subsidies to support obtaining qualifications at affiliated educational institutions.
Implications for the workforce
Full-time employees have the advantage of being able to utilize advanced learning management systems that provide advice on skill improvement and upskilling programs. On the other hand, part-time workers, freelancers, and the unemployed face disparities in such skill acquisition opportunities, and government institutional support and environmental development are important for resolving this gap.
Four factors affecting work styles: Changing norms
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 11: Equity Gap
According to the 2025 UN report, while some progress has been made in poverty reduction, many people remain in unstable living conditions even after their income levels have improved. Economic shocks and chronic inflation bring anxiety to many people, and an opaque situation involving complex factors has become the norm.
Implications for the workforce
Management bears the responsibility of appropriately operating strategies to enhance wage equity and transparency, and to ensure fair treatment across all positions and job types. Employers are also required to adopt an attitude of providing comprehensive and sustainable benefits to their employees.
Four factors affecting work styles: The crisis surrounding successor talent
16 trends regarding the future of work: Trend 16: Dwindling leadership talent
What companies are currently seeking is talent with the knowledge and experience to introduce technology when necessary and maximize its effectiveness. Meanwhile, Generation X, who are expected to be the next generation of executives, are limited in number, and younger Millennials, who are responsible for middle management, are seen to be struggling with conflicting priorities, including work and private life.
Implications for the workforce
From 2026 to 2030, the demand for senior managers, who are trusted advisors for companies, will increase.