(May 6, 2026) – U.S. employers are recalibrating workforce strategies as they adapt to surging artificial intelligence (AI) use and shifting priorities of the Trump administration. New research from Littler finds that while issues at the top of employers’ agendas over the past year – including immigration and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) – remain consequential, other areas such as AI and data privacy are moving to the forefront.
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, today released its 14th Annual Employer Survey. The survey draws on insights from more than 300 U.S.-based C-suite executives, in-house lawyers and human resources professionals to understand the most pressing workplace concerns in the current environment and how executives are navigating them.
AI Now the Leading Area Where Employers Expect Impacts from Policy Changes, Outpacing Immigration and DEI
Most respondents (84%) expect business impacts from policy or regulatory changes relating to AI use in the workplace over the next 12 months – double the share that said the same in 2025 (42%). Data privacy regulation rose in tandem, with 53% expecting workplace impacts over the next 12 months, up from 31% in 2025. By contrast, immigration fell to 49%, down from 75% in 2025, while DEI dropped to 38% from 84%.
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