New data from PwC analyzing more than one billion job ads across six continents reveals that AI automation is reshaping the skills employers demand, with human traits like judgment and leadership becoming critical even for entry-level roles.
The PwC Study: Key Findings
According to PwC, professionalized roles where AI automates parts of the work are seeing a huge uptick in job performance. These roles experience 2x faster job growth and 42% faster wage growth compared to roles less exposed to AI. The study also found that AI-exposed entry-level roles are 7x more likely to require senior-level skills such as judgment, leadership, creativity, adaptability, and personalized communication.
Quantified Impact of AI Adoption
The heaviest adopters of AI have seen a 163% increase in labor productivity growth compared with 2018, according to PwC. The firm emphasizes that using AI to automate administrative tasks makes human work even more valuable—a shift already reflected in employer skill preferences.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Job growth in AI-automated roles | 2x faster |
| Wage growth in AI-automated roles | 42% faster |
| Entry-level roles requiring senior skills | 7x more likely |
| Labor productivity growth for heavy AI adopters | 163% increase since 2018 |
Rising Demand for Human Skills
PwC reports that skills including judgment, leadership, creativity, adaptability, and personalized communication are among the most sought-after by employers. AI systems are ultimately unable to replicate these human capabilities. "The companies seeing the greatest returns on AI are using it to amplify human expertise, accelerate innovation and create entirely new sources of value," said Joe Atkinson, Global Chief AI Officer at PwC.
Implications for Employers and Workers
Pete Brown, Global Workforce Leader at PwC, stressed the growing importance of human skills at all career levels: "Organizations need to rethink how they develop talent if they want people to thrive in this new environment." The study suggests that jobs are not under threat but are evolving, and employer-backed training is essential to help workers succeed in an AI-first workplace.
While the findings do not directly address supply chain or trade technology, the same dynamics apply. For CTOs and technology leaders, the data underscores that investing in human upskilling alongside AI deployment is critical to capturing productivity gains. The 163% productivity boost among heavy AI adopters offers a compelling benchmark for enterprises evaluating AI investments.
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