Top Job Skills for 2026: Management & Human Skills Lead
Management, communication and problem-solving remain among the most in-demand job skills in 2026, despite the rapid expansion of AI in the workplace, according to analysis by careers platform Kickresume.
In Brief
New analysis of 1.4 million job advertisements shows that management and other human-centred job skills remain prominent employer requirements in 2026, despite the rapid growth of AI in the workplace. Separately, Carers UK research suggests that more than a million people have left employment to provide unpaid care during the past two years, highlighting the growing challenge of retaining employees with caring responsibilities.
Key Points
- Across the combined UK and US dataset, management appeared in 44% of job advertisements, public speaking in 40% and problem-solving in 12%.
- In the UK specifically, the leading job skills were management at 53%, public speaking at 27% and communication at 15%.
- Explicit references to AI tools appeared in only 0.2% of postings, although the analysis measures stated requirements in job advertisements rather than skills employers may expect implicitly.
- An estimated 1.1 million people in the UK have left employment to provide unpaid care during the past two years, equivalent to more than 1,500 people a day.
- One in five workers now combines paid employment with unpaid caring responsibilities, up from 15% in 2019, while 59% of working carers reported a negative impact on their employment.
- Flexible working and supportive management were each identified as important by 79% of respondents, while Carers UK is calling for a statutory right to ten days’ paid Carer’s Leave.
The research by Kickresume examined 1.4 million job descriptions posted on LinkedIn and Indeed between March and August 2026 across six sectors in the UK and US: healthcare, finance, business, marketing, recruitment and technology.
Management and Communication Dominate Job Skills Demand
Management was the most frequently identified skill, appearing in 44% of the job advertisements analysed. Public speaking followed at 40%, while problem-solving appeared in 12%. The UK figures differ slightly from the combined results. Management appeared in 53% of UK job postings, followed by public speaking at 27% and communication at 15%. Problem-solving, while third across the combined UK and US dataset, did not make the UK-specific top three.
Demand for these job skills varied considerably between sectors. Management appeared in 76% of business job descriptions and 72% of finance roles. In marketing, it featured in 56% of adverts, alongside sales skills in 48% and problem-solving in 24%.
Public speaking was the most frequently identified skill in healthcare and recruitment, appearing in 50% and 43% of postings respectively. Technology roles also placed substantial emphasis on management, at 54%, while public speaking appeared in 21%. These job skills therefore cut across sectors rather than being confined to traditional management roles.
The findings are particularly striking given the attention surrounding workplace AI. Explicit references to “AI tools” appeared in only 0.2% of all postings analysed, while Microsoft and Google tools appeared in 0.4%. Technology had the highest relative demand, with AI tools mentioned in 0.7% of technology adverts and Microsoft or Google tools in 4%.
Those figures should not be interpreted as evidence that AI-related job skills are unimportant. The analysis measures the frequency of particular words and phrases in job descriptions rather than everything an employer may expect implicitly from a candidate. The World Economic Forum, for example, identifies AI and big data among the fastest-growing job skills while also ranking leadership, analytical thinking and resilience highly.
The broader picture is therefore one of combination rather than replacement. Technical knowledge is becoming more important, but employers continue to place considerable value on job skills involving leadership, communication and problem-solving.
What Job Adverts Say About Workplace Culture
Kickresume also examined phrases sometimes described as recruitment “red flags”.
Across the combined UK and US data, “fast-paced environment” appeared in 0.7% of postings overall and in 6% of marketing adverts, while “self-starter” appeared in 0.2% overall and 3% of marketing adverts.
In the UK specifically, “competitive salary” was the most frequently identified phrase, appearing in 3% of job postings. By contrast, “work hard, play hard” and “like a family” appeared only nine times each in the UK dataset.
Marketing had the highest concentration of the phrases analysed, with at least one appearing in 12% of advertisements, followed by business at 5%, technology at 3%, recruitment at 2%, finance at 1% and healthcare at 0.39%.
None of those phrases proves that a workplace is problematic. For employers, the more useful lesson is to make job adverts specific about responsibilities, pay, expectations and working arrangements rather than relying on vague descriptions of culture. For candidates, the strongest approach is to demonstrate the job skills employers are repeatedly asking for, particularly management, communication and problem-solving, alongside relevant technical expertise. For employers, clearer descriptions of the job skills genuinely required can also make recruitment advertising more useful and targeted.
More Than a Million People Leave Work to Provide Unpaid Care
An estimated 1.1 million people in the UK have left employment to provide unpaid care during the past two years, according to new Opinium polling for Carers UK. That equates to more than 1,500 people a day and represents a 150% increase on the comparable 2019 estimate of 468,000.
The nationally representative survey of 4,000 UK adults found that one in five workers now combines paid employment with unpaid caring responsibilities, up from 15% in 2019. Among working carers, 59% said caring had negatively affected their employment at some point, including through reduced hours, lower-paid work, missed career opportunities or changing employer.
Carers UK estimates that 3.33 million people have given up work to care, while the economic cost associated with carers leaving paid employment is estimated at £37 billion a year.
Supporting Unpaid Carers at Work
Workplace support appears to be particularly important. Flexible working and a supportive line manager or employer were each identified as important by 79% of respondents.
In Great Britain, employees currently have a day-one statutory right to up to one week of unpaid Carer’s Leave in each 12-month period where they meet the eligibility requirements. In its response to the consultation, Carers UK called for a statutory right to ten days’ paid Carer’s Leave. The Government’s consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers closed on 1 September 2026, with its response, findings and roadmap expected as the review concludes during winter 2026–27.
For employers, the retention implications are significant. Flexible working, supportive and properly trained managers, clear policies and enhanced paid leave where affordable can help employees remain in work rather than reaching the point where reducing their hours or resigning becomes the only practical option.
This year’s Carers Rights Day will take place on Thursday 19 November 2026. It will focus on helping unpaid carers understand their rights and the support available to them, including Carer’s Leave, flexible working and protection from discrimination.
Employers: What This Means
Employers should ensure recruitment criteria and job adverts reflect the job skills genuinely required for each role, rather than relying on assumptions about which capabilities candidates should possess. Separately, the growing number of people leaving work to provide unpaid care highlights the importance of flexibility and effective management support in retaining employees with caring responsibilities.
- Review job descriptions and recruitment criteria regularly to ensure they reflect the management, communication, technical and other job skills genuinely needed for the role.
- Use clear and specific language about responsibilities, pay, working arrangements and expectations rather than relying on vague recruitment phrases that tell candidates little about the job.
- Ensure employees with caring responsibilities understand their day-one rights to Carer’s Leave and to request flexible working, and that line managers understand the distinction between them. Carer’s Leave cannot be refused, although it can be postponed where the statutory conditions are met, whereas a flexible working request can be refused on specified business grounds.
- Consider whether flexible working, temporary adjustments or enhanced paid leave could help retain experienced employees who might otherwise reduce their hours, change jobs or leave work altogether.
