Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in workforce agility solutions, has released its annual Skills Economy Report, powered by 28 TB of live labor market intelligence across 200+ countries. The 2026 edition identifies the ‘Great Skills Merge’—a fundamental breakdown of traditional separation between “technical” and “people” jobs—as AI automates routine tasks and creates demand for blended roles that balance advanced technical and human skills.
As AI takes over repetitive tasks, the historic divide between technical and interpersonal roles is disappearing. The report shows a clear convergence:
This shift signals a new workforce reality: success in 2026 and beyond depends on employees who combine deep technical proficiency with uniquely human capabilities like empathy, adaptability, and complex problem-solving.
“While AI is rewriting how we work and what is demanded of us at work, people will always be at the center of progress and innovation,” said Himanshu Palsule, Chief Executive Officer at Cornerstone. “While our latest report reveals a 50/50 shift in demand for human and AI skills today, what concerns me is how unprepared many organizations still are. The future is not going to wait for those who fail to meet the moment and invest in their people.”
“The global workforce is facing a period of unprecedented transformation and restructuring, especially as AI continues to disrupt industries,” said Mohan Reddy, Chief Scientist, SkyHive Engineering, at Cornerstone. “Understanding historical trends and real-time market intelligence, together, provide critical insight into workforce and skills trends to support organizations in making informed decisions about workforce planning in the short- and long-term.”
Powered by Cornerstone Galaxy—the AI-driven workforce agility platform used by 7,000 organizations and 140 million learners worldwide—the report underscores the urgency of adopting a skills-first approach to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving skills economy.
About Cornerstone
Cornerstone powers the potential of organizations and their people to thrive in a changing world. Cornerstone Galaxy, the complete AI-powered workforce agility platform, meets organizations where they are. With Galaxy, organizations can identify skills gaps and development opportunities, retain and engage top talent, and provide multimodal learning experiences to meet the diverse needs of the modern workforce. Approximately 7,000 organizations and 140 million users in 180+ countries use Cornerstone Galaxy to build high-performing, future-ready organizations and people today.
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