Addison Group Research: More than a third of Americans have "pretended to understand" in order to remain competitive in the workplace

Chicago, October 27, 2026 / PRNewswire / -- A new study released by Addison Group, an international business services and human capital technology company, shows that nearly all working Americans and job seekers find it more difficult to build a career in the current job market. Conducted by Wired Research, the survey indicates that skills required in the workplace are being redefined driven by artificial intelligence and constantly changing employer expectations. This pressure to adapt has given rise to a new form of "career security" – "skill security," which refers to the ability to continuously build the skills needed to remain competitive.

The "2026 Skills Security Report" by Addison Group shows that 93% of the American workforce indicates that at least one aspect of building a successful career has become more difficult over the past five years, with 68% listing "technologically driven skill obsolescence" as one of the primary challenges. The rapidly changing environment is prompting workers to re-evaluate their skills and career paths: 72% report some form of career anxiety or vulnerability, while 58% lack confidence in their ability to adapt to the continuous changes in skills required for their careers.

This pressure is causing some people to adopt a strategy of “pretending to know first, then learning later.” In fact, 36% of the American workforce—about 64 million people—say that they have exaggerated their knowledge, skills, or experience in order to feel competitive or appear capable.

At the same time, 83% of people have taken at least one action in the past year to maintain their competitiveness. Among them, 43% have self-taught themselves how to use a certain AI tool, which is the most common individual skill improvement behavior measured by this study. Nevertheless, 63% of people still reported taking on professional challenges without being fully prepared, highlighting the broader sense of uncertainty among the workforce regarding the future.

Addison Group CEO Thomas Moran stated: "The concept of 'skill security' is about equipping people with the skills and confidence needed to grow alongside the technologies that are reshaping the workplace. Technical proficiency will become increasingly important, but human skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, and judgment will still be indispensable. For employers, the key is to help people develop both types of abilities, paving the way for employees to take on new challenges, grow in their careers, and contribute in ways that have not been possible before."

These findings collectively indicate that there is a shift in Americans' understanding of occupational safety: maintaining safety increasingly means maintaining adaptability. Workers are already responding by pushing beyond their current capabilities, learning new skills, and self-studying emerging technologies.

These findings continue the themes discussed in Addison Group's "2027 Labor Force Planning and Compensation Guide." The guide explores how a skills-based recruitment approach is becoming increasingly important in AI and how organizations need to adapt to the evolving labor market. It provides employers with more insights into recruitment trends, labor demand, and the changes in skills that will shape the coming year.

The "2026 Skills Safety Report" examines how Americans are coping with this transformation, including the driving factors behind job anxiety, the actions workers are taking to remain competitive, and the differences in these behaviors among different generations and demographic groups.

About Data

The "2026 Skills Safety Report" is based on an online survey conducted by Wired Research from August 28 to September 2, 2026. The survey was conducted via email, and the sample consisted of 1,000 American adults aged 18 and above who are nationally representative. Among them, 656 were employed or unemployed but actively seeking work. The population estimation took into account a finding from the survey that 66% of American adults were employed or unemployed but looking for work, and this proportion was applied to the adult population of 269,763,509 as recorded in the 2025 US census, which amounts to approximately 178 million people.

About Addison Group

Addison Group indicates that the company is a well-known enterprise in the field of talent solutions and consulting services, providing professional talent and consulting services across the United States. The company claims to be recognized for its "people-oriented" approach and has been rated as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States by institutions such as Forbes and Staffing Industry Analysts. Addison Group states that in order to meet the needs of businesses and to continue innovating and evolving, its comprehensive services are supported by a range of professional brands, including Addison Group Talent Solutions ( AGTS ), AIM Consulting , ArcLight Consulting , Bridgepoint Consulting , DLC , Harmony Healthcare , Kranz Consulting , and Mondo .

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