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A year ago, we ran our first large-scale survey of how tech workers feel about their jobs and careers. We summed up what emerged in four words: burned out, but optimistic. Today we’re back with the results from our 2026 survey, and it’s a tale of two workforces.
One half feels amplified by AI—more capable, more confident, more excited than they’ve been in their entire career. The other half feels shaken by it—less sure of their value and whether there’s still a place for them. Which side of that line people fall on predicts how they feel about their career more than anything else, including their current role, seniority, company size, or any other measure we collected. The workforce is bifurcating into two realities.
But there’s more: Burnout overall jumped 11 points in a single year, and four in 10 respondents are worried about losing their job. Even those who feel optimistic about their own career may not recommend that friends follow their path. In the AI era, everyone agrees the ground is moving. No one is sure yet if it’s an earthquake or a launch.
