What Happened
Morgan McKinley's latest workplace trends research has found that 57 per cent of Australian workers have used AI tools to support a job search or prepare for an interview. That figure sits well above the global average of 43 per cent recorded in the same study.
The findings place Australia ahead of other markets covered by the survey on this measure. They also show that concern about automation's effect on employment runs higher here than in most other countries surveyed. According to the research, 42 per cent of Australian employees believe their role could be affected by restructuring, automation or cost-cutting, compared with 37 per cent worldwide.
Why It Matters
The numbers capture a tension that is playing out across the Australian labour market. Workers are turning to AI as a practical tool to stay competitive in hiring processes, while simultaneously worrying that the same technology could displace them. That combination of adoption and anxiety is more pronounced in Australia than in the global sample.
The scale of the shift in job-seeking behaviour over the past year is also notable. Globally, 43 per cent of employees now use AI or automation tools when searching for a role, up from 26 per cent a year earlier. That is a 17-percentage-point rise in twelve months, a pace that suggests AI has moved from a novelty to a routine part of how people approach career transitions.
Key Details
Discomfort with how employers deploy AI in hiring remains widespread. Nearly half of employees worldwide, 46 per cent, said they remain uncomfortable with AI being used to assess interview performance. That unease exists even as candidates use the same category of tools to prepare their applications and rehearse answers.
On skills development, the research points to a gap between what workers want and what employers are providing. Globally, 70 per cent of employees said AI and data skills are now their top professional development priority. Yet 56 per cent said their employer is not investing enough in learning and development.
Job mobility intentions are also elevated. Almost half of employees globally, 49 per cent, said they plan to actively look for a new job in the next six months, even though 63 per cent of employers expect no headcount reductions.
Background and Context
Morgan McKinley is a global recruitment firm that publishes periodic workplace trends research drawing on employee and employer surveys across multiple countries. The figures cited here come from the recruiter's latest edition of that research, published in July 2026.
Australia's result on AI adoption in job seeking is consistent with broader patterns of technology uptake in the local workforce, though the Morgan McKinley data represents the first time a major recruiter has quantified the gap between Australian and global rates on this specific measure.
Google has also published commentary on how Australian workers are using AI to get ahead in their careers, noting the country's strong uptake of AI tools in professional contexts.
What Comes Next
The employer-side data in the Morgan McKinley research suggests a mismatch is building. Workers are upskilling independently and preparing to move, while most employers are not anticipating significant headcount changes and are underinvesting in training. If that gap persists, retention pressures are likely to intensify, particularly for roles where AI literacy is becoming a baseline expectation.
For Australian employers, the 56 per cent figure on learning and development investment is the most actionable finding. Workers have already identified AI and data skills as their priority. The question is whether organisations respond before staff start voting with their feet.