What happened
ManpowerGroup has released its 2026 Global Talent Barometer, and the Canadian numbers point two ways at once. As reported by Talent Canada, 41 per cent of Canadian workers now use AI regularly, up 7 points. Yet their confidence with technology dropped by 22 per cent, and overall worker sentiment fell for the first time in three years. The national score came in at 68 per cent.
Most people still feel sure about the work they do today: 92 per cent say they have the skills for their present job. The worry is about what follows. 45 per cent think automation could take over their role within two years, and 66 per cent plan to remain with their current employer, a pattern the report calls "job hugging".
Support appears thin. 60 per cent of Canadian workers say they have had no recent training, and 54 per cent have no access to mentoring. Burnout affects 63 per cent. About half supplement their main income, and that share reaches 67 per cent among Gen Z. The tech confidence drop was steepest for Baby Boomers (45 per cent) and Gen X (31 per cent).
Why it matters if you are hiring
Staying put is not the same as being committed. Many of your people are staying because they feel exposed, and some are holding second income streams to cover costs. That is a retention risk that will not show up in your turnover figures until conditions ease.
For hiring managers, the pool of active candidates is likely to stay smaller. Fewer people are moving, so strong candidates will be passive and will compare your offer against the security they already have. Be ready to explain how the role develops, not just what it pays.
Internally, the gap between AI use and AI confidence is a productivity problem. Tools get rolled out, but if staff are unsure, the gains stall. Older, experienced employees in operations, finance and administrative roles seem most affected, and they often hold the process knowledge you can least afford to lose.
When you post a role, say plainly how AI figures in it, what training is offered, and who will mentor the new hire. Candidates are asking those questions even when they do not say so.
One thing to do this week
Ask each team lead to list who has had no formal training or mentoring in the past 12 months, then book one concrete session for each person on that list, starting with anyone using AI tools daily.
Traverse has placed operations, finance, sales, technical and manufacturing people with Canadian employers since 1997, and we help employers find candidates who fit the role as it will look next year, not only today.