What will work look like in the immediate future? It is a question as recurrent as it is pertinent in a world where technological innovations and their impact on employment barely pause, and any attempt to predict trends beyond a few months is, at the very least, risky and uncertain in its outcome. The approaching turn of the year, however, opens a new window for experts and analysts to put forward their forecasts and try to anticipate the factors that may define the labour market in 2026.
What you will find in this article
According to the report he Future of Jobs 2025, produced by the World Economic Forum, technological change, geo-economic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts and ecological transition are the main forces that will define and transform the global labour market in the coming years. Nothing, in truth, that we have not heard before. So where are the new coordinates that will help us understand the future of work? Possibly in the complex and delicate balance that governs the relationship between all these elements.
Artificial Intelligence is, without doubt, the major development that’s shaken the world of work in recent years, with an impact comparable to that of the wheel, the plough, the printing press, the steam engine, the personal computer or the internet in their day. Its emergence has not, however, been entirely smooth. The fear that this technology, capable of automating and dramatically improving thousands of tasks previously performed by humans, would destroy millions of jobs has loomed – and to some extent still does – over many people who initially viewed it as a serious threat to their livelihoods.
Fortunately, many of those concerns have eased as sceptics have begun to interact with Generative AI and Machine Learning and have experienced their advantages. According to the latest Forbes Research 2025 AI Survey, 94% of executives surveyed believe AI will eliminate fewer than 5% of jobs in the next two years, and 59% say it will create more roles than it removes.
The AI learning curve has shifted from suspicion to pragmatic acceptance once the technology proved its usefulness in simplifying tasks that previously took professionals hours to complete manually and can now be solved, more reliably, in seconds. It’s expected that this mutual understanding will continue to deepen throughout 2026, and that the courtship of previous years will evolve into a consolidated relationship in which humans and machines operate as an increasingly harmonious team, allowing the complementary capabilities of both to shine.
Regarding specific applications of AI in the workplace, it’s likely these developments, until now largely applied to workflows designed before AI, will increasingly be implemented in processes conceived from the outset with Artificial Intelligence in mind. This is an evolution in which, as we will see below, the role of human intelligence will be fundamental.
The automation of tasks that AI is bringing to all kinds of professional sectors has another significant consequence. By freeing people from repetitive, administrative or time-consuming duties, they can focus on roles that carry greater added value. These are tasks with a strong human component in which AI developments can’t yet compete. Genuinely human qualities such as originality, empathy, ethics, compassion, intuition, contextual understanding and emotional intelligence, as well as soft skills like creativity, teamwork, leadership, communication and critical thinking, are crucial in the immediate future.
And not only as a counterbalance to digitalisation and its programmatic rigidity, but as a genuinely differentiating factor that enables companies and professionals to build their own identity in a world where universal access to technology risks homogenisation.
Communication skills and critical thinking are likely to prove crucial in the immediate future.
Although no one doubts that AI and the dominance of data are transforming decision-making by offering far greater certainty, these technologies have also, fortunately, revealed their limits and their inability to operate on their own. They still need people to design, adjust and provide context. And in that scenario, the coming years will continue to see strong demand for professionals with a solid grounding not only in technology, but also in the humanities.
Individuals with a critical mindset who know how to question the intentions of AI systems that are not constrained by moral or ethical considerations, or that may fail to recognise the consequences of misinterpretation or statistical error. And, above all, individuals with enough capability, boldness and imagination to create entirely new and original concepts, rather than merely combining or reworking what already exists.
2026 will also be the year in which certain drivers that have been shaping the world of work in recent years become fully consolidated. Flexible and hybrid models, alongside remote working, will remain, although not as dominant as in previous years, offering options that many professionals value to better balance their work and personal lives. Increasingly, however, these arrangements sit alongside renewed in-person models and workplace dynamics that aim to capture the best of each format.
Work-life balance is closely linked to another trend set to grow strongly in 2026: supporting the physical and mental health of employees. The pandemic changed many things, one of which was positioning people’s wellbeing as a central business priority. As a result, more organisations are adopting personalised wellbeing programmes for their staff, a factor that’s also becoming crucial to retaining and attracting talent. According to the report Radiografía del Bienestar en la Empresa 2025 (Well-being in the Workplace Report 2025), produced by Savia (MAPFRE), 60% of workers consider it essential that their company offers these services, a figure that rises to 77% among those already receiving them.
Continuous learning is another key factor that will define the workplace in the immediate future. Upskilling and reskilling programmes are the only way to guarantee employability in a context of constant change.
What are known as green jobs, particularly in renewable energy, will shape training priorities in the coming months.
Regarding trends, the steady arrival of female talent into STEM professions and the rise of new occupations related to sustainability – what are known as green jobs, for example in renewable energy – will guide training priorities in the coming months. Sustainability is also claiming its place in the world of work that awaits us as we enter the new year.
This is driven by growing awareness of social and climate emergencies and the need to find deeper meaning in our work. In a context where the talent available doesn’t always match what companies require, those organisations that will lead this race are the ones with a clear purpose aligned with the values of the people who work for them, or aspire to do so.
Ramón Oliver is a journalist specialising in employment, economics and sustainability, topics he has covered for outlets such as El País, El Economista, OK Diario and Capital Humano. He currently contributes to Vozpópuli, La Vanguardia and Ethic Magazine, and is the editor of the specialist website MetaEmpleo.