Chief Economists Look Ahead to 2026 and Gen Z Skill-Building with AI - Top Stories of the Week

Explore four critical economic and workforce developments shaping the global landscape in this comprehensive video from the World Economic Forum. Begin by examining chief economists' mixed outlook for 2026, where weak growth expectations meet a disrupted economic reality driven by trade disputes, geopolitical fragmentation, and artificial intelligence integration. Discover how manufacturing companies like Haier in China are revolutionizing workplace support through AI-powered initiatives that help new mothers balance career and family responsibilities while dramatically improving productivity and workforce stability. Analyze the paradoxical relationship Generation Z has with artificial intelligence, where three-quarters use AI for skill development and problem-solving, yet nearly half experience career anxiety about AI's impact amid declining entry-level job opportunities. Learn about an innovative insurance pilot program in Delhi that compensates informal workers when extreme heat or pollution levels force work stoppages, providing crucial financial protection for millions who lack traditional employment benefits. Gain insights into how climate change, technological advancement, and demographic shifts are reshaping labor markets, economic forecasting, and social protection systems across different regions and industries.

Syllabus

0:14 - What do chief economists expect in 2026? Weak growth and a disrupted new economic reality: In a world shaken by trade disputes, geopolitical fragmentation and the rise of AI, what’s the outlook for the global economy? The answer is mixed, as Philipp Grosskurth, Insight Lead at the World Economic Forum explains.
3:38 - This factory is using AI to help new mothers in the workplace: As the #manufacturing sector faces unprecedented challenges, the need for innovative talent strategies has never been more critical. The World Economic Forum co-created the Frontline Talent of the Future initiative, which aims to identify and share talent innovations helping manufacturing companies such as Haier in China dramatically improve their productivity and stability.
7:13 - 3 in 4 Gen Z-ers use AI to learn new skills: As the first true digital natives, Gen Z are embracing AI in the workplace more than any other generation. They use it to learn new skills, to find new jobs, and to help solve problems at work. But despite this enthusiasm, nearly half of all young adults feel anxious about the impact of AI on their careers – and falling numbers of entry-level jobs suggest their worries are not unfounded, as a new report from Randstad shows.
8:50 - In Delhi, climate change is causing informal workers to lose work.This insurance scheme pays them: Millions of informal workers in #Delhi are forced to down tools when the city’s heat or fumes swell to unbearable levels. Without sick pay or formalised contracts, they have no choice but to go without wages, making it more difficult to meet their family’s basic needs. But a new insurance pilot is paying out whenever temperatures or pollution reach unsafe levels - and insured workers are already seeing the benefits.