If you use an AI tool at work every day, you may already feel more secure in your job than a colleague who rarely touches one. That gap is now measurable in Greece. PwC Greece’s Hopes and Fears 2026 survey of 801 workers points to a workforce moving at two speeds: one group gaining confidence from AI, and a much larger group at risk of being left behind just as employer training becomes harder to get.

The headline numbers look reassuring at first. According to the survey, 64% of Greek workers are satisfied with their job, 73% feel pride in their work and 66% are willing to go beyond what is required. The real story sits underneath those numbers.

Engaged, but less trusting and not fairly paid

Commitment is high, but trust is slipping. PwC Greece found that trust in direct managers stands at 46% and trust in senior leadership at 39%, down 5 and 2 percentage points respectively from last year.

Pay remains the top priority for workers, yet only 47% believe they are fairly paid. Meanwhile, access to training and development fell 7 percentage points to 41%. Put those figures side by side and you see a workforce that is willing to give more while receiving less of what helps it move forward.

The AI divide: 37% pulling ahead

AI adoption has grown fast. The share of surveyed workers using AI rose to 64% from 43% last year, and 37% now use AI tools daily. Almost half of Greek workers say their work changed significantly over the past year.

Daily AI users stand out. In the PwC data, they report greater job security, more trust in management and more confidence in acquiring new skills. The tool itself is not magic. In practice, regular use builds familiarity, and familiarity makes the next change feel less threatening.

The survey groups workers into four segments. In Greece, 7 in 10 belong to the “core” workforce: people with common skills who see limited benefits from AI so far. That is the slower lane, and it is the majority.

Why shrinking training widens the gap

Six in 10 workers feel confident about learning new skills, according to the survey. The appetite is there. What is shrinking is the opportunity, with training access down to 41%.

When employers cut structured learning, the people who keep developing are usually the ones who already experiment on their own. That pattern can turn an adoption gap into a skills gap, and over time into a gap in salary progression and mobility between jobs.

For employees: how to avoid the slow lane

• Pick one repeatable task (drafting emails, summarising documents, cleaning data) and try an approved AI tool on it every day for a month.
• Ask about training directly. If your employer has cut programmes, ask what budget or time is still available, and put the request in writing.
• Document what you gain. Concrete examples of time saved or quality improved give you leverage in your next salary negotiation.
• Check the market. Compare your pay with peers and read employer reviews to see which companies actually invest in their people’s skills.

For HR: democratising reskilling access

For HR teams, the risk is not that AI users race ahead. It is that 7 in 10 employees stall while trust in leadership erodes. Organisations that handle this well tend to treat AI capability as a baseline skill, not a perk for early adopters.

• Map adoption by team to see where daily use is concentrated and where it is absent.
• Protect a minimum learning budget for core roles, even where other development spend is cut.
• Use managers as multipliers. With trust in direct managers at 46%, short peer-led sessions can rebuild credibility and spread skills at the same time.
• Link new skills to pay progression, so that the 47% who feel fairly paid can grow rather than shrink.

The PwC Greece figures describe a workforce that is proud, willing and curious, but unevenly equipped. Whether the AI gap becomes permanent depends less on the technology than on who gets the time and support to learn it. Sharing what you earn, anonymously, helps everyone see where that gap is turning into a pay gap.