Employees across all industries are investing in their path forward with their current employer, while still steeking greater stability, according to Mercer’s 2026 Inside Employees’ Minds Report.
Economic and existential pressures: Growing economic uncertainties and the looming threat of AI-caused job displacement are creating significant pressure on employees, resulting in firmer commitments to their current employers.
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Surveyed employees reported that persistent inflation and market volatility continue to elevate financial stress.
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Unsurprisingly, many employees expect AI to impact job security and make work feel harder. The report also highlights how adoption is uneven across functions, teams, and industries.
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Job security saw the sharpest increase in concern among all issues tracked by Mercer.
In response, employees are looking inward: Employees are investing in their current roles and employers, and more firmly believe they can meet their career goals inside their current organizations.
But are their needs being met by their employer? Across several issue areas, employees report that employers are meeting their needs better than when asked in 2023.
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Overall work-life balance has increased more favorably since 2023 – the ability to take time off as needed and disconnect during time off were the only issue areas that saw meaningful decreases.
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Employees also reported increased satisfaction with the opportunities for upskilling and advancement opportunities.
Industry and role variance. While high tech, financial services, managers, and hourly or low income workers all reported much higher favorability in 2026 as compared to 2023, education, legal, healthcare, and experienced professionals all reported notably less favorability.
