Integration.
AI is part of everyday work.
WorkLife 2026 - Jabra Research InstituteWelcome to the
Welcome to the
new shape of work
AI has changed the way we work. But who is adapting best? We asked 6,000 knowledge workers across six markets.
The future of work is already here. Is your business ready for it?
AI is changing how work gets done, from how we prepare for meetings to how we solve problems and make decisions.
But while technology is moving fast, the bigger question is what that change means for the people doing the work.
WorkLife 2026 explores what helps people thrive through this transition, and what organizations can do to lead the AI transformation.
Download the report
Two workforces are emerging.
Which one is yours?
We surveyed 6,000 knowledge workers across six markets, analysing almost 200 variables to understand how people are experiencing the changing world of work. What we found was a striking divide.
Some are moving forward with confidence. Others are struggling to keep up.
So what is creating the divide?
The WorkLife Framework
What makes a workforce thrive with AI?
Our research showed that three factors influence our experience of work more than anything else.
Around 15%of workers have all three in place. We call them AI Superusers. Compared with people who don't use AI, they're 1.75x more optimistic about their careers and 3.7x more likely to feel secure in their role.
The good news: none of the three is a fixed trait. AI Superusers are built, not born. The report shows you how.
Organizational Enablement.
The organization has evolved alongside its people.
Transformation.
People have adapted to the changing shape of work, moving naturally between typing and talking to AI.
The findings at a glance
Research highlights
AI didn't give us our time back
It was meant to take the routine off our plates. Instead, every type of work grew. 85% of workers are doing more of at least one kind of work than a year ago, and even admin is up for almost half.
Read the full report to find out where this time is going.
The Manager Dividend
The single biggest predictor of a good WorkLife? Your manager. People whose managers can guide them on AI are 4x more likely to feel optimistic about their career and 7.5x more likely to work in AI-redesigned workflows.
Right now, half of workers can't say that about their manager. If you make one investment in AI this year, upskill your managers.
Job rot
You'd expect the people living through the most change to find work hardest. We found the opposite. Around one in three workers say their job has barely changed, and they report the lowest satisfaction, preparedness and career optimism in the study.
Individual contributors are almost 2.5x more likely to be affected than senior leaders.
Meet the voiceworkers
People who talk to AI carry a heavier load: more meetings, more decisions, more change. Yet they're 23% less likely to associate work with stress and 35% more likely to feel motivated.
They also report more organizational support on every measure we tracked. What does that tell us about the organizations behind them?
Ready to find out more?
Get the full data, the six-market breakdown and a practical playbook for building an AI-ready workforce.
What you'll learn
Where your organization stands, and what to do next
- A benchmark. The six layers of support that help people succeed with AI, and how many the average organization has built so far.
- A playbook. Practical steps for building Integration, Organizational Enablement and Transformation.
- A map. How the US, UK, France, Germany, Poland and India compare, and why Europe trails on almost every measure.
- A forecast. What the workers furthest ahead expect from their next 12 months with AI.
Download the report
Download the full report
One report. Three signals. Everything you need to build a workforce that thrives alongside AI.