--- title: "Only 22% of Workers Worldwide Feel Their Job Is Safe, ADP…" canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/adp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey" language: "en" author: "drashtigarach" published: "2026-04-10T16:32:15.000Z" modified: "2026-04-13T15:07:45.371Z" --- [Back to Blog](/blog) [AI](/blog/tag/ai)[Career](/blog/tag/career)[Labor Market](/blog/tag/labor-market) # Only 22% of Workers Worldwide Feel Their Job Is Safe, ADP Survey of 39,000 Reveals ADP Research surveyed 39,000 workers in 36 countries and found only 22% feel their job is safe. See the data by seniority, age, and region plus what it means for your career. [![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach) [April 10, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/04)9 min read ![Only 22% of Workers Worldwide Feel Their Job Is Safe, ADP Survey of 39,000 Reveals](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/adp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey.png) [https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey&title=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey&title=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals)[mailto:?subject=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey](mailto:?subject=Only%2022%25%20of%20Workers%20Worldwide%20Feel%20Their%20Job%20Is%20Safe%2C%20ADP%20Survey%20of%2039%2C000%20Reveals&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fadp-research-job-security-2026-global-workforce-survey) ## The Numbers Behind the Worry: What Did ADP Actually Find? A sweeping sense of vulnerability is washing over the global workforce, and now there is hard data to prove it. [ADP Research](https://www.adpresearch.com/) released its [Today at Work 2026, Issue 1](https://www.adpresearch.com/today-at-work/issue1-2026/) report on March 25, 2026, drawing on its annual Global Workforce Survey of more than 39,000 working adults across 36 markets. The headline finding is stark: only 22% of respondents worldwide strongly agreed that their job was safe from elimination. In the United States, that number climbs only modestly to 28%. In fact, across every country surveyed, only one market, Nigeria, saw the share of workers who feel secure rise above a third. For job seekers, career changers, and employed professionals alike, the data paints a picture of widespread unease that transcends borders, industries, and job titles. [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) tracks labor market shifts daily, and this report stands out because it captures sentiment at a scale rarely seen in workforce research. With responses gathered between July 21 and August 4, 2025, the findings reflect feelings that have only intensified as 2026 unfolds. ## Does Your Job Title Determine How Safe You Feel? One of the most revealing dimensions in the [ADP Research](https://www.adpresearch.com/) data is the breakdown by organizational level. The pattern is clear: the closer you are to the front lines, the less secure you feel. - Individual contributors, the workers who make up the bulk of most companies, reported the lowest confidence. Only 18% felt their job was safe from elimination. - Frontline managers came in slightly higher at 21%. - Middle managers reported 23%. - Upper managers rose to 31%. - C-suite executives topped the scale at 35%, though even at the highest level, roughly two out of three leaders did not strongly agree their role was secure. The gap between an entry-level employee and a top executive is 17 percentage points. That spread tells a story about information access, decision-making power, and perceived replaceability. Workers lower on the ladder often have less visibility into strategic planning and are more likely to be in roles where automation or restructuring could arrive with little warning. Gender also shapes the picture. Among U.S. respondents, 31% of men said they felt secure compared to just 23% of women, an eight-point gap within the same labor market that points to ongoing disparities in how workplace stability is experienced. ## Why Are Workers So Anxious When the Job Market Looks Strong? Here is the paradox at the center of this data. By nearly every traditional measure, the U.S. labor market is performing well. For the four weeks ending March 21, 2026, private employers added an average of 26,000 jobs per week, marking the fourth straight week of improvement. Unemployment has fallen. Jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, remain near historic lows. Yet worker confidence is moving in the opposite direction. [Gallup](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/703280/worker-thriving-declines-job-market-pessimism-grows.aspx) data shows that for the first time in its tracking history, more U.S. workers are struggling than thriving. About half of all employees are actively watching for better opportunities, not because they feel empowered to move but because they fear being caught off guard. Several forces are driving this disconnect: - Artificial intelligence is reshaping job descriptions faster than workers can adapt. Generative AI tools are entering the workplace rapidly, and many professionals are still processing what it means for their roles and long-term prospects. - Job openings have fallen to their lowest level in over a year, even as applications have surged. The result is a "low-hire, low-fire" equilibrium where fewer people are being let go but fewer new opportunities are opening up. - Economic uncertainty tied to geopolitical shifts, inflation concerns, and policy changes creates a background hum of instability that colors how people feel about their own positions. - The mindset among workers has shifted from "getting ahead" to "holding on." People are staying in roles not because they are satisfied but because the perceived risk of moving feels too high. ## Is AI Making Workers Less Confident or More Prepared? AI sits at the center of the anxiety story, but the relationship is more complicated than headlines suggest. The ADP data reveals a generational divide in how workers view the technology. Among workers aged 18 to 26, 20% strongly agreed that AI would positively impact their job in the next year. That optimism drops to 15% for workers aged 40 to 54 and falls further to just 10% for those aged 55 to 64. Younger workers may be more comfortable with the tools, but they are also more likely to be in early-career roles where job security is already thinnest. There is a counterintuitive twist in the data as well. Workers who use AI daily report higher engagement and lower stress, yet they also feel less productive. The reason: AI has taken over the small, checklist-style tasks that previously gave people a sense of daily accomplishment. Daily AI users were four times as likely as nonusers to say they were not as productive as they could be. As [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) CEO Lacey Kaelani told [People Managing People](https://peoplemanagingpeople.com/workforce-management/ai-layoffs/), "AI is not completely eliminating roles, but instead restructuring roles and therefore slowing hiring for some jobs." That distinction matters enormously for job seekers. The threat is less about mass displacement and more about role transformation, which demands different skills, continuous learning, and a willingness to adapt. ## What Can Workers Do to Protect Themselves? The ADP survey contains one finding that offers a clear path forward. Workers who felt their employer was investing in their skills were 5.3 times as likely to feel their job was secure. That multiplier is enormous and suggests that upskilling is not just a nice-to-have but a direct driver of workplace confidence. For job seekers and employed professionals navigating this landscape, several strategies stand out: - Pursue continuous learning. Whether through formal training programs, online certifications, or on-the-job skill building, staying current with industry tools and practices is the single strongest predictor of feeling secure. AI literacy in particular is becoming a baseline expectation across industries. - Build a portable skill set. Roles may be restructured, but skills travel. Focus on capabilities that transfer across companies and sectors, including data analysis, communication, project management, and adaptability. - Expand your professional network. In a market where openings are harder to find and competition is fierce, relationships matter more than ever. Connect with peers, mentors, and industry groups. Attend events, join communities, and stay visible. - Monitor the market actively. Do not wait until a layoff notice arrives to understand your options. Track hiring trends in your field, know which companies are growing, and keep your resume updated. [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) delivers daily labor market intelligence that helps you stay informed. - Negotiate for development. If your employer offers training budgets, tuition reimbursement, or internal mobility programs, use them. If they do not, ask. The ADP data shows that employer investment in skills is the strongest buffer against insecurity. ## How Does This Compare Across the Globe? The 22% global average masks significant regional variation, though not in the direction many might expect. The United States, despite its relatively strong labor market, only slightly outperforms the global figure at 28%. Most developed economies cluster in a similar range, suggesting that job insecurity is not unique to any one country or economic system. The report spans 36 markets, giving employers and workers alike a granular view of sentiment across geographies, industries, education levels, and work environments. The consistency of the findings is itself a message: this is not a localized problem driven by one country's policies or one sector's disruption. It is a global phenomenon shaped by technological change, economic uncertainty, and a fundamental shift in how workers relate to their careers. For global job seekers, the takeaway is that the strategies for building resilience are universal. Invest in skills, stay networked, keep learning, and pay attention to where opportunity is growing rather than only where it is shrinking. ## People Also Asked **Q: What percentage of workers worldwide feel their job is safe in 2026?** **A:** According to the [ADP Research](https://www.adpresearch.com/) Global Workforce Survey of more than 39,000 workers across 36 countries, only 22% of workers worldwide strongly agreed their job was safe from elimination. In the United States specifically, 28% of workers reported feeling secure in their roles. **Q: How does job level affect feelings of job security?** **A:** Job security confidence rises with seniority. [ADP Research](https://www.adpresearch.com/) found that only 18% of individual contributors feel their job is safe, compared to 21% of frontline managers, 23% of middle managers, 31% of upper managers, and 35% of C-suite executives. Even at the highest levels, roughly two-thirds of leaders do not strongly agree their position is secure. **Q: What is the biggest factor in making workers feel more secure about their jobs?** **A:** The ADP survey found that workers who felt their employer was investing in their skills were 5.3 times as likely to feel their job was secure. Employer-sponsored upskilling and professional development programs are the strongest predictor of workplace confidence, far outweighing job title or industry. Stay ahead of the market and make sure you never miss the trends shaping your career. 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