Human skills, creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, and leadership, remain in high demand alongside that technical fluency. The professionals who stand out in 2026 are the ones who can work with AI tools and bring the contextual judgment and interpersonal capability that machines still can’t touch. According to the World Economic Forum, employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030. AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills, followed by networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy.
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- While this might help to boost exports, it might also have the effect of keeping less competitive companies in business when they might otherwise fail.
Moreover, short-term fluctuations in a rapidly changing economic scenario need to be considered. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the other economic factors along with these trends for robust decision-making. Yet, this study is important because it will likely provide support for countries that want to challenge China’s trade and industrial policies. The European Union in particular already intends to take steps to reduce China’s perceived threat to European companies.
Will Gold Prices Hit All-time Highs Again In 2026?
But perhaps more significant is how existing roles are evolving—from data entry clerks becoming data analysts to customer service representatives becoming AI-human collaboration specialists. The organizations that succeed are creating new career pathways that didn’t exist before. Those numbers sound encouraging until you read what Microsoft calls the “Transformation Paradox.” Organizations are adopting AI tools at speed, but most haven’t redesigned the structures around them.
Access selected forecasts, reports and scenario tools and experience first-hand how these insights help you plan confidently, prioritise markets and navigate emerging risks. We expect most LatAm economies to lose momentum in 2026 as domestic demand weakens. We expect trade resilience to continue through 2026, but trade will be caught in a tug-of-war between tariffs and AI. The global economy should remain in reasonably good shape in 2026, and we anticipate solid but unspectacular world GDP growth. We’re confident that US GDP growth will outperform the consensus by some margin. Yet beneath that headline, the real story is one of ongoing diverging prospects.
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With those headwinds easing, we don’t expect the softening to spiral into a larger downturn. But because our US growth forecasts are below trend, unemployment will creep higher. Experimental OECD estimates suggest that labour productivity growth stagnated at around 0.4% in 2024, on average, across OECD countries excluding Türkiye. This subdued performance stands in contrast to the optimism sparked by the release of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Gemini in recent years, which raised hopes for a productivity boost. The weak labour productivity growth in 2023 and 2024 suggests that sizeable benefits have yet to materialise.
This study will likely embolden EU policymakers to implement restrictions on imports from China unless China takes steps to reduce subsidies and liberalize its markets. Of the about Inventello 172,000 jobs created in May, 52,000 were in government, while 55,000 jobs were added in local government. In addition, 47,200 jobs were created in health care and social assistance. If these three categories are excluded, however, then only 2,800 new jobs were created in May.
The EU AI Act now requires employers to ensure staff have sufficient AI literacy, which means training should become more available. But don’t wait for formal programs; experiment with AI tools directly, stay current on developments in your field, and seek out communities where you can learn from peers navigating the same challenges. McKinsey’s State of AI research found that 62% of organizations are experimenting with AI agents, and 23% are already scaling agentic systems within at least one business function. These are systems handling entire workflows that used to sit on someone’s desk. ” The World Economic Forum projects that by 2030, job disruption will affect 22% of all jobs, with 170 million new roles created and 92 million displaced, yielding a net gain of 78 million positions.
The Fund may invest in asset-backed (“ABS”) and mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) which are subject to credit, prepayment and extension risk, and react differently to changes in interest rates than other bonds. Small movements in interest rates may quickly reduce the value of certain ABS and MBS. By buying bonds, the Fed aims to lower long-term interest rates, making borrowing cheaper and stimulating economic activity. Conversely, reducing its holdings through bonds sales or letting bonds mature can exert upward pressure on interest rates, tightening monetary conditions. Within this evolving landscape, CDMOs with a global footprint and deep expertise in complex chemistry are playing a critical role. Evonik, for example, is supporting customers through its integrated network of facilities and its ability to localize advanced technologies close to customer operations.
Those are risks to global growth even as they accelerate domestic buildout. AI-related investment now looks more like industrial build-out than speculative tech spending. Morgan Stanley Research estimates ~$2.9 trillion in global data center construction cost alone through 2028, fueled by sustained demand for compute that vastly exceeds supply. This feeds directly into industrial output, power investment and services spend—providing real macro support with an expected contribution of ~25% of U.S.
The US-Israeli war with Iran is shaking the entire region, testing Gulf economic resilience, and disrupting global trade and oil markets. The conflict is also creating shockwaves in Lebanon, where Israeli strikes have displaced over a quarter of the population, as well as in Iraq, Egypt, and Cyprus. Will AI-driven growth keep global markets rolling, or are new risks on the horizon? Discover key forecasts for the US, China, Europe and Japan in our latest economic outlook. In 2023, labour productivity – measured as GDP per hour worked – for the total economy rose modestly by 0.6% on average across OECD countries.
However, as trade policy discussions progressed, resilient consumer spending and significant AI-infrastructure capital outlays supported trends like GDP growth of 1.8% for the year. Meanwhile, a broad-based moderation in hiring activity over the past several months prompted the Fed to resume its easing cycle this fall, even though inflation remains elevated and tariffs are not yet fully passed through. From here, additional cuts to the Fed Funds rate will depend on data showing further labor market softness and relatively stable pricing trends.
For the US Fed, the challenge will be to anchor those expectations, which may involve a tightening of monetary policy. If core prices did not reflect rising inflation levels, the Fed could theoretically look through the temporary surge in inflation and focus on the underlying trend. Yet, with core inflation now accelerating, this is probably not an option any more. Indeed, the futures market currently sees an implied probability of 44% that the Fed will raise the benchmark interest rate this year. In the United States, the manufacturing PMI increased from 54.5 in April to 55.1 in May—the highest level since May 2022. The high level was largely due to strong output growth, for which the subindex hit the highest level since April 2022.
The labor shortage is already threatening operations and productivity in several sectors of the economy. NOAA’s data shows that Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.14° F per decade since 1880. However, the rate of warming increased to 0.32° F per decade in the years since 1981. Low inventory and high-interest rates have plagued the real estate sector for the past several months. The same survey reported that more than 40% of consumers predict positive economic conditions for the year ahead.
The US-China trade easing of tensions removes some of the downside risks to Chinese growth. Admittedly, the average US tariff on China is a still-high 30%, and tensions around tariffs, technology restrictions and critical minerals exports could flare up again. But Chinese exports have held up well over this period of trade uncertainty, as trade has been re-routed to Asian and European economies.We still expect challenges to China’s outlook.
Greater investment in the cell and gene therapy industry in 2026 and beyond may lead to changes in development company pipelines. Cell and gene therapy CDMOs are facing a market that is different than was envisioned during the period of rapid expansion of CDMO capacity in the late 2010s and early 2020s. The current risk-averse funding environment, as well as regulatory uncertainty, have left CDMOs extremely underutilized. As we head into 2026, I’d expect companies with products in development to secure their supply chains in preparation for continued development and eventual commercialization. This presents a great opportunity for CDMOs to partner with these drug sponsors for development and commercialization of not just the GLP-1 drugs but also precursor materials, such as complex peptide building blocks.
This surge in demand is driving CDMOs to develop new technology platforms and enhance our service capabilities to effectively support clients’ innovative therapies. Global tourism demand slowed through 2025, as geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty impacted economic growth and consumer sentiment. The oil market will remain in a persistent surplus in 2026, while government policy will continue to shape non-energy prices. Economic trends refer to the patterns that determine the direction in which the economies or markets are moving over the period. These macroeconomic changes can be gauged through the changes in employment level, inflation, GDP, and other indicators.
That’s why Morgan Stanley Research flags the recent drawdown in software sector stock prices as a “peak uncertainty” moment, with group enterprise value/sales back near levels last seen during prior disruption scares. But, as has become evident in recent weeks, the AI trend is also large enough to trigger valuation resets and sector rotation, as the world weighs the potential benefits and disruption to workers and existing industry. The geopolitical competition for AI leadership adds another layer of risk complexity. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) forecasts that regional GDP will grow by 2.4% in 2025, reflecting a reassuring level of stability even amidst downward revisions for individual markets. This growth has been achieved despite a less supportive external backdrop, reinforcing the region’s ability to weather volatility. Looking towards 2026, the opportunity lies in combining this established resilience with strategic foresight.
Looking ahead, the focus must remain on sustainable wage growth and policies that support both employees and employers in adapting to new economic realities. The rise of remote work and technological advancements will continue to shape the salary landscape, necessitating proactive measures from both businesses and the government. In 2025, CDMO capacity and pipelines are being shaped by the rising complexity of innovative therapeutics, especially biologics, cell therapies, and oligonucleotides. We are seeing increased demand for outsourced manufacturing of specialized oncology treatments, such as ADCs, cytotoxics, and other highly potent compounds, that require advanced handling and containment. This shift reflects a broader industry trend to accelerate access to complex therapies while ensuring safety and quality.
Nation brand value represents the monetary worth of a country’s reputation and image, shaped by its economic performance and global standing. As organizations deploy AI at scale, questions about bias, transparency, and accountability are moving from theoretical to urgent. Gartner’s strategic predictions warn that atrophy of critical-thinking skills due to GenAI use will push 50% of organizations to require “AI-free” skills assessments by 2026. The organizations that build trust through transparent AI practices and meaningful human oversight are earning both employee confidence and customer loyalty. Deloitte’s 2026 Global Human Capital Trends report makes the urgency even harder to ignore. While 85% of leaders say building their organization’s ability to adapt at speed is critical, only 7% believe they’re actually leading on that front.
The impact of tariffs on prices has not yet peaked, and we expect US inflation, currently 2.7%, to reach 3.4% in the first quarter of 2026. But with underlying inflation pressures contained and inflation-expectations remaining steady, the tariff hit looks like a one-off increase to the price level. From 2000 to 2025, there has been a steady rise in the average monthly salary in the U.S., signaling strong economic health. This trend shows that employers are increasingly offering competitive wages to meet changes in the economy and society.
The IMF forecasts the UK’s GDP to grow in 2025, making it the third-fastest growing economy in the G7. While the UK is set to outpace major European economies like Germany, France, and Italy, several other European countries, including Poland and Spain, are expected to grow at a faster rate. The outcome will also depend on the extent of damage to core infrastructure and reputations. The Gulf ’s path will have widespread effects throughout the larger region, impacting energy markets, capital flows, supply chains, and expatriate workers’ remittances.
By 2026, the focus will be on solving process challenges rather than merely expanding capacity. The global population continues to grow, and access to healthcare and medicines is steadily increasing. Overall, this means that innovation in the pharmaceutical industry will continue. In my opinion, the single largest factor today impacting CDMO capacity and pipelines is the explosive demand and potential for GLP-1 drugs. This year, the global market for GLP-1s to address type 2 diabetes and obesity has been estimated at $53 billion by some sources, and by 2030 the market is projected to reach a staggering $157 billion. The results of a KFF tracking poll conducted in May of 2024 found that in the U.S. 1 in 8 adults (12.5%) has tried a GLP-1 medication at some point, with 6% of adults currently using one.