📍The future of work isn’t waiting for January — it’s already rewriting the rules this month. ⸻ Hey Builders! Workforce data released this week confirms what many have been feeling quietly: the labor market is still strong on the surface, but the foundation beneath it is shifting fast. AI adoption is accelerating. Skill requirements are rising. Roles are changing shape. And workers across industries are realizing that yesterday’s playbook won’t secure tomorrow’s opportunity. Workforce Wednesday is your reminder that the most important investment you can make isn’t in reacting to the shift — it’s in preparing for it. ⸻ 🗞 Top Story — The Skills Gap Is No Longer a Forecast. It’s the Operating Reality. Three signals are defining the final stretch of 2025: ▪️ AI use at work surged this year, with more than half of employees reporting they now use AI weekly — and 14% daily (PwC). ▪️ Employers say over one-quarter of their workforce will need reskilling due to AI by 2026, and many estimate that number could exceed 50% (WEF, McKinsey). ▪️ Job listings in AI, data, cybersecurity, and automation continue to outpace applicant supply by a growing margin (Indeed, BLS). This isn’t an economy eliminating workers. It’s an economy upgrading expectations. And those who invest in their capability now won’t just survive the shift — they’ll outperform it. ⸻ ⚡ Quick Briefs — Signals Shaping the Labor Market ▪️ Wage growth is strongest in roles with high digital and AI-literacy requirements. ▪️ Employers are accelerating skills-based hiring, lowering degree requirements in favor of demonstrated capability. ▪️ Demand for reskilling and micro-credential programs is rising across finance, healthcare, transportation, and public-sector agencies. ▪️ Productivity gains are concentrated in firms adopting automation early. ▪️ Workers with AI-augmented workflows report higher output and lower burnout, according to new academic studies. ⸻ 🧱 Builder Insights 1️⃣ The most powerful career advantage in 2026 will be AI fluency — not technical mastery, but practical capability. 2️⃣ Employers increasingly reward adaptability over static expertise. 3️⃣ Skills-first hiring will favor workers with certification, portfolio evidence, or verified capability. 4️⃣ Workers who reskill now will out-earn peers who wait for disruption to force the shift. 5️⃣ Nothing compounds faster than learning — except unaddressed skills gaps. ⸻ 🎬 Closing Thought — The Best Career Insurance Is Capability Every workforce transition creates winners and those left behind. This one is no different — except the gap is widening faster. If you want leverage in the next economy, you need skills that compound. Not someday. Now. That’s why early enrollment for the OHUB AI Competency Program is now open. If you want to learn how to use AI at work, increase your value, and build future-proof capability, this is your moment to move. Explore or secure early access: opportunityhub.co/...) Classes begin January 21. ⸻ ⚡ OHUBNext Daily Brief — investments, edge tech, and moves that matter. For 12+ years, OHUB has been building pathways to multigenerational wealth through exposure, skills, entrepreneurship, capital markets, and inclusive ecosystems.