This LinkedIn report reveals a labour market showing signs of growth, fuelled by the more than 1.3 million jobs globally that have emerged due to new technology and broader workforce shifts.
These roles are giving rise to a new-collar era, an emerging workforce that blends knowledge work, advanced technical skills and distinctly human strengths. Despite this, the data shows that business leaders’ confidence is down by double digits in advanced economies.
The ongoing sluggish labour market is setting up a labour market dynamic characterised by a restless, underutilised global workforce as just over half of people say they’re job hunting in 2026 and nearly 80% feel unprepared to find a new job. It highlights that for companies, incorporating updated talent strategies alongside clear skilling pathways is essential to help employees succeed in the new-collar era.
