{ "title": "New Deputy Report: AI Is Making Frontline Work More Efficient. Most Workers Have No Idea.", "modified_at": "2026-04-07 08:02:12", "published_at": "2026-04-07 08:16:00", "url": "https://news.deputy.com/new-deputy-report-ai-is-making-frontline-work-more-efficient-most-workers-have-no-idea", "short_url": "http://prez.ly/fwAd", "culture": "en", "language": "EN", "slug": "new-deputy-report-ai-is-making-frontline-work-more-efficient-most-workers-have-no-idea", "body": "

SAN FRANCISCO – Deputy, the global workforce management platform powering shift-based businesses across more than 100 countries, today released its annual The Big Shift report, AI Unlocks America's Frontline Workforce as It Enters the Next Era. The data tells a clear story: AI is delivering real efficiency gains on the frontline, but a basic lack of transparency is preventing those gains from translating into workforce trust.

Drawing on more than 41 million shifts and 268 million hours worked, and produced in partnership with Dr. Shashi Karunanethy, Chief Economist at Geografia, the report identifies a structural inflection point, not a cyclical shift, in the global economy. Three forces are converging at once: AI adoption at scale, a generational handoff to Gen Z workers, and rising demand for flexible, multi-job income models. Together, they are fundamentally redefining how businesses schedule, manage, and retain frontline teams.

At a moment when AI-driven disruption dominates headlines about the future of work, the shift economy stands apart. Unlike desk-based roles – where automation threatens to hollow out entire job categories – frontline work is structurally resistant to displacement and poised to expand. AI cannot restock a shelf, care for a patient, or close a restaurant. What it can do is make those workers faster, better-scheduled, and less burned out, while helping businesses operate more efficiently and spend less time on admin and more time on customers. As policymakers and businesses grapple with the disruption ahead, shift-based work remains one of the most durable foundations of employment in an increasingly automated world.

“AI is not replacing the shift work economy; it is fueling it," said Silvija Martincevic, CEO of Deputy. "It's already helping frontline teams work faster and more efficiently. But many workers still have no idea how the technology is being deployed around them. That gap, between what AI is doing and what workers understand, is the defining challenge of this next phase of workforce transformation. The companies that take that seriously, and bring their workers along rather than leave them in the dark, are the ones that will actually keep their best people.”

Key Findings from The Big Shift 2026

Gen Z leads the frontline workforce. Now accounting for 41% of shift workers, Gen Z has overtaken Millennials and is accelerating demand for flexible, self-directed work.

AI is improving efficiency, but trust hasn't kept pace. Nearly 75% of shift workers say AI helps them leave on time. But trust is lagging as 80% report that employers do not clearly communicate how AI is being used in their workplace.

Poly-employment has hit a decade high; who's doing it has shifted. A year ago, poly-employment was concentrated among young women in hospitality and healthcare. Today, Gen Z makes up 55% of poly-workers and men represent the majority for the first time at 53% across U.S. shift industries – exposing a growing divide between those choosing flexibility and those forced into it.

The rise of "moon shifts" is fueling urban growth. Late-night work is rising across major cities like Nashville, Denver, New York and Los Angeles, signaling increased demand for after-hours services and infrastructure.

The "self-care shift" is transforming retail. Growth is increasingly driven by beauty, wellness, and service-based roles, reflecting changing consumer demand and Gen Z priorities.

Structural imbalances continue to shape wages in healthcare. Women remain concentrated in lower-paying roles while men dominate higher-paying specialties and leadership positions.

Retail wage dynamics show women out-earning men for the first time. Female retail workers now earn more on average than men ($19.22 vs. $17.11/hour), driven by growth in service-oriented roles. Hiring has slowed while layoffs remain stable, signaling a cautious but steady labor market.

The businesses that adapt earliest – investing in AI transparency, flexible scheduling systems, and real-time workforce visibility – will be best positioned to compete in an increasingly distributed, time-sensitive labor market. Deputy's data, drawn from over one billion shifts worldwide, provides one of the most comprehensive views of frontline work.

For more information and additional findings, download the full report.
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\u200bAbout Deputy \u200b\u200b
\u200bDeputy is the workforce management platform built specifically for shift work. Trusted by over 1.5 million shift workers and 380,000 workplaces in more than 100 countries, Deputy powers over one billion shifts and counting. With AI-powered tools for effortless hiring, onboarding, forecasting, time tracking, compliance, and mobile-first communication, Deputy helps businesses plan, adapt, and operate in real time – giving managers the tools to run more efficient operations while giving teams greater control over their time and schedules. Learn more at www.deputy.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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About the Research
\u200bThe Big Shift 2026 report was produced by Deputy using aggregated customer data. The report features an industry-focused data analysis of American shift workers across the hospitality, retail, healthcare, and services sectors. Chief Economist at Geografia, Dr. Shashi Karunanethy, analyzed 41,272,873 shifts and 268,258,948 hours of 382,635 shift workers to produce the insights in this report.

 

Media contact

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\"Kendal
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\n Kendal Pektas\n Lead Public Relations Manager, Deputy\n \n
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