99% of CEOs Expect AI Layoffs — Only 32% Know What to Do

Mercer just surveyed 12,000 executives and employees across 55 countries — and the headline number is stark. Ninety-nine percent of CEOs expect AI to reduce headcount at their company within the next two years. But only 32% of organizations believe they can actually manage the transition. That gap between expectation and readiness is where the real crisis lives. Beneath the headline, there's a workforce in freefall. The share of employees who say they're thriving at work collapsed from 66% in 2024 to just 44% in 2026 — a 22-point drop in two years. Fear of AI-driven job loss jumped from 28% to 40% in the same period. Workers are watching leadership plan cuts while seeing no credible infrastructure for the transition. In this episode, we break down what Mercer's 2026 Global Talent Trends data actually demands from CHROs — and the four concrete actions HR leaders need to take right now to close the readiness gap before it becomes a full-blown talent crisis.