Trendlines June 2026 Newsletter

Issue 4 | Workforce Worries | June 2026

Two labor market shocks are arriving concurrently. Across advanced economies, workforces are shrinking. Some sectors are already experiencing domestic labor shortages, while others are turning to automation or immigration to sustain productivity growth. At the same time, in developing economies, 1.2 billion young people are entering working age only to find there are not enough jobs to go around. Sitting at the center of this labor equation is AI, which is disrupting and redefining the entry-level and support roles that were once a main on-ramp to the workforce. This issue examines the human capital inflection now confronting governments, companies, and cities; it examines the future of the global workforce. 

For the full version of this newsletter, please see the PDF download at the top of the page.

Joyce Bongongo is an associate fellow with the Hess Center for New Frontiers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. A special thanks to Grace Dereemer, Hess Center for New Frontiers (CSIS), for her contributions to research and editorial design.