Palo Alto, Calif. – September 23, 2026 -- Companies offering AI-specific skills training jumped from 25% to 58% over the past year, but 56% of employees still say they get no time during work hours to build those skills, according to Workera's 2026 State of Skills Intelligence Report.
AI training spending rises sharply across U.S. enterprises
The survey of 1,000 salaried employees at U.S. organizations with 5,000 or more staff found 80% now believe their company is on track for an AI-enabled future, up from 67% in 2025. Employees using AI tools multiple times per week rose from 40% to 68% year-over-year, and companies feeling confident about their competitive AI position climbed from 19% to 30%.
Time and materials remain the missing piece for skill-building
Despite the training investment, 43% of respondents cited a lack of relevant training materials as a barrier, and 84% said they spend five hours or less per week on skill development. Nearly 60% said AI skills are weighted equally or not prioritized at all when their organization decides job assignments or promotions.
Employees doubt AI can outperform them at their own jobs
76.6% of respondents said AI could not do their job better than they can, and 78.1% estimated AI could handle 30% or less of their current role. Workers largely view AI as a productivity tool rather than a replacement threat.
Misjudged skills are already costing employees promotions
43% of respondents said they had been passed over for an opportunity or promotion because someone misjudged their skills. Only 27% report receiving regular coaching from a manager or executive at least a couple of days per week, while 22% say they never receive individual coaching. Half of respondents said they receive enough coaching to advance their career.
Workers want control over any continuous skills-tracking data
41% of employees said they would opt into continuous skills measurement if they controlled the resulting data, while 28% said they would not opt in under any circumstances and 31% remained unsure.
"Organizations have long treated professional development as an extra-role behavior, something employees do on top of the job rather than as part of it," said Taylor Sullivan, PhD, VP of Product and Assessment at Workera. "That's why it's the first thing to go when time gets tight, and it's why 56% of employees get no hours to build AI skills."
The survey was conducted in July 2026 via Pollfish, with year-over-year comparisons drawn from an 800-respondent Workera survey conducted in March 2025 using the same platform.