Technology

U.S. Workers Know They Must Adapt but Action Is Stalling, New ETS Report Reveals

Published

1 hour ago

August 14, 2026

2026 ETS Human Progress Report — 50 States Edition reveals “adaptability paralysis,” with 78% of U.S. workers saying job security no longer exists without continuous adaptation, yet proactive upskilling trailing global peers

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U.S. workers overwhelmingly recognize that adaptability is now the foundation of job security, but time, cost, access and employer support are preventing awareness from turning into action, according to the 2026 ETS Human Progress Report — 50 States Edition, released today by ETS.

The report, based on a survey of more than 15,000 U.S. adults across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, finds that 78% of U.S. workers agree job security no longer exists without continuous adaptation, and 85% say upskilling or reskilling is no longer a choice but a necessity. Yet only 71% report proactively developing new skills — trailing the global average of 77% but far behind high-growth markets such as India (89%) and China (80%).

“America’s workers are ready to adapt, but too many are being asked to do it without the time, resources or roadmap they need,” said Amit Sevak, CEO of ETS. “That cannot be the worker’s burden alone. Governors and CEOs have a shared responsibility to make workforce readiness a priority in every state and every organization, by investing in trusted credentials, measuring practical skills and building clear pathways that help people stay relevant, advance and compete in the economy ahead.”

Key national findings

Workers feel underprepared. 54% of U.S. workers say they feel underprepared for the next generation of jobs (vs. 49% globally), and 75% say they have no clear picture of what jobs will look like in 2035.

AI disruption is already underway and uneven. U.S. workers estimate 26% of their work currently involves AI and expect that to rise to 43% within two years. Current AI usage at work ranges from 47% in Alaska to 18% in Maine and Wisconsin, creating a new divide as AI exposure increasingly determines opportunity.

The emotional toll is real. 58% of U.S. workers report a fear of becoming obsolete (FOBO), rising to 74% among technology workers and 73% in financial services. 54% say their priorities have shifted from seeking job security to staying relevant.

Barriers are stacking up. 68% of U.S. respondents say upskilling costs are difficult to cover, 63% struggle to find time to learn while maintaining their workload, and 57% find it difficult to get employer support. While 67% are interested in credentialing programs, only 41% have access to them — a 26-point gap.

Americans seek support from trusted channels. 71% want government help in mastering workforce-readiness skills, and 89% agree employers should encourage workers to set credential goals throughout their careers. Trust in credentialing organizations and employers (43% each) outpaces trust in state/local (30%) and federal (28%) government as assessment providers.

State-level pressure points

The report finds the conditions for adaptability vary sharply by state. Maine, Hawaii and Pennsylvania stand out with workers reporting the greatest difficulties across multiple upskilling barriers, while workers in Alaska, the District of Columbia and Delaware report the fewest obstacles. Delaware leads the nation with 89% of workers saying they are proactively developing new skills, followed by Alaska (87%) and the District of Columbia (83%).

The education-to-workforce gap also emerges as a national theme: 61% of employed U.S. college graduates say their university did not adequately prepare them for the workforce, and 90% of U.S. respondents agree educational assessments should measure both academic knowledge and practical skills.

The U.S. scores 93.7 on the 2026 ETS Human Progress Index, below the global index of 96.7, indicating Americans perceive greater difficulty accessing education, upward mobility and upskilling than their global peers.

A call to action

The report identifies three priorities for building a future-ready U.S. workforce: employers turning expectations into clear credential pathways; governments funding access through trusted credentialing partnerships; and educators bridging learning and workforce readiness by integrating practical skills assessment.

To explore the full findings and to learn more, download the 2026 ETS Human Progress Report — 50 States Edition.

Methodology

The survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of ETS from August 25 to September 10, 2025, among 15,357 U.S. adults aged 18 or older, with a minimum of 300 respondents per state and the District of Columbia. Data is weighted to reflect U.S. Census demographic distribution. Global comparisons are drawn from the global 2026 ETS Human Progress Report dataset of 32,558 adults across 18 countries.

About ETS

ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners to be future ready. Our mission – advancing the science of measurement to power human progress – ensures our focus to enable everyone, everywhere, to demonstrate their skills and chart their path to future readiness for life. We are committed to readying 100M+ people for the next generation of jobs by 2035. We deliver on this commitment through trusted assessments and skills solutions – including TOEFL, TOEIC, GRE, Praxis and Futurenav – and groundbreaking initiatives powered by our Research Institute. With a robust global footprint, including subsidiaries (PSI), offices and operations in more than 200 countries and territories, we help over 50 million individuals each year measure their proficiency and unlock new opportunities. Discover how we expand our worldwide impact: www.ets.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-workers-know-they-must-adapt-but-action-is-stalling-new-ets-report-reveals-302851898.html

SOURCE ETS

Technology

3M Board Declares Quarterly Dividend

Published

37 seconds ago

August 14, 2026

ST. PAUL, Minn., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 3M Company Board of Directors (NYSE: MMM) today declared a dividend on the company’s common stock of $0.78 per share for the third quarter of 2026. The dividend is payable Sept. 11, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on Aug. 24, 2026.

3M has paid dividends to its shareholders without interruption for more than 100 years.

About 3M

3M (NYSE: MMM) is focused on transforming industries around the world by applying science and creating innovative, customer-focused solutions. Our multi-disciplinary team is working to solve tough customer problems by leveraging diverse technology platforms, differentiated capabilities, global footprint, and operational excellence. Discover how 3M is shaping the future at 3M.com/news.

Investor Contact:

Diane Farrow
612-202-2449

Media Contact:
3Mnews@mmm.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/3m-board-declares-quarterly-dividend-302852083.html

SOURCE 3M Company

Technology

Tripmasters Launches Senior-Friendly Europe Vacations

Published

38 seconds ago

August 14, 2026

New customizable vacation packages pair the freedom of independent European travel with private chauffeured transfers and thoughtfully planned itineraries

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tripmasters, a pioneer in flexible, independent multi-destination vacations, has launched a new collection of Senior-Friendly Europe Vacation Packages, designed to simplify travel planning, making adventures safer, more affordable, comfortable, and fun!

Travel is taking center stage in retirement. A recent survey reported by Yahoo Finance found that 67% of Americans planning for or already in retirement named travel as their top retirement goal, while 51% said they were more concerned about running out of healthy years to travel than running out of money. The findings point to a growing desire among retirees to make the most of their active years by prioritizing meaningful travel experiences and checking more destinations off their bucket list.

“Retirement is the perfect time to finally explore the destinations you’ve always wanted to see, but planning a multi-destination trip can sometimes feel overwhelming,” said Rafael Checa, CEO at Tripmasters. “We created our Senior-Friendly Europe vacations for travelers who still have a passion for discovering new places but want a simpler, more comfortable way to do it, taking care of the more complicated logistics while giving the travelers the freedom to explore Europe independently and at their own comfortable pace.”

Independent Travel, Made Easier

Unlike traditional escorted tours, Tripmasters’ Senior-Friendly Europe packages allow travelers to maintain control over their vacation. The collection is particularly well-suited for travelers who appreciate:

Private chauffeured transfers between select destinationsFewer complicated transportation connections and less time navigating unfamiliar stationsIndependent itineraries without the schedules and crowds of a traditional group tourAccessible Hotel Options with features such as elevators, step-free access, accessible rooms, and convenient locations.Customizable hotels, activities, and lengths of stayThe convenience of having major vacation components organized in one placeA Balance of Independence and Support – travelers get the freedom of planning their own European adventure while having some of the more complicated details professionally arranged.

Ready to explore Europe your way? Discover Tripmasters’ Senior-Friendly Europe Vacation Packages and start customizing a journey designed around your pace, preferences, and travel style. Our experienced travel professionals help you customize your itinerary, select destinations, and choose the accommodations and experiences that best fit each trip.

A Company Rooted in Trust and Credibility

Founded in 1984, Tripmasters.com is a leader in customizable, multi-destination travel. With a pioneering online platform, Tripmasters empowers travelers to design flexible, personalized itineraries across Europe, Asia, the Americas, Canada, the Pacific, and beyond. Whether planning a romantic getaway, a family adventure, or a luxury escape, customers can choose from thousands of destinations, mix and match flights, hotels, and activities, and build trips with up to 12 cities, all in one seamless booking process. Tripmasters combines the convenience of technology with expert customer support to deliver exceptional value and unforgettable travel experiences. Its long-standing credibility is supported by:

4.8-star average rating on TrustpilotA+ rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB)IATA and ARC certificationsFlexible payment options, Affirm, PayPal, and major credit cardsStaggered payment plans designed to help travelers budget with confidenceExperienced travel professionals available to help customize and plan every step of your journey

Follow Tripmasters:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tripmasterstravel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tripmasterstravel
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TripmastersTravel
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tripmasterstravel

Media Contact: Stephanie Merrithew, smerrithew@tripmasters.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tripmasters-launches-senior-friendly-europe-vacations-302852100.html

SOURCE Tripmasters

Technology

Agentic AI Initiatives Stall When Prototypes Lack Production Discipline, Says Info-Tech Research Group

Published

40 seconds ago

August 14, 2026

Organizations that successfully design agentic AI prototypes often stall at implementation, with many enterprises struggling to move agents from design concept to working prototype. Info-Tech has published a new blueprint, Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype, that provides a five-phase methodology to help teams engineer reproducible, observable, and defensible agentic AI prototypes with the guardrails, observability, and evaluations leaders need to make confident scaling decisions.

ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As interest and experimentation in agentic AI continue to accelerate, many organizations are finding that the gap between a promising design and a working, evidence-generating prototype is wider than expected. New findings from Info-Tech Research Group reveal that in order to produce evidence of solution feasibility, viability, and security, agentic AI prototypes require sound architecture, observability, evaluation, cost controls, guardrails, and governance built into the engineering process from the start.

To help organizations move from concept to implementation, the global research and advisory firm has released Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype, a technical blueprint designed for teams that are ready to engineer agentic AI prototypes. The framework provides a structured pathway for transforming agentic AI concepts into measurable, investment-ready systems that leadership can confidently assess and scale.

As organizations race to capitalize on agentic AI opportunities, many teams encounter implementation barriers that prevent promising concepts from advancing beyond isolated demos. Fragile demos often fail when exposed to real-world conditions, cannot scale beyond individual developer environments, or lack the performance evidence required to justify additional investment. According to Info-Tech’s analysis, building sustainable agentic AI systems requires new engineering patterns to address hurdles such as environmental fragility, invisible costs, security gaps, and what the firm describes as “evaluation theater,” when a demo is treated as a meaningful evaluation.

“Organizations have discovered that building an impressive agentic AI demo is relatively easy, but engineering a system that is observable, reliable, secure, and defensible is a very different challenge entirely,” says Meagan Peters, senior research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group. “The organizations that succeed will be the ones that treat agentic AI development as an engineering discipline, not just an experimentation exercise.”

Info-Tech’s research highlights three critical insights organizations must embrace to successfully operationalize agentic AI initiatives:

Autonomy isn’t a substitute for architecture – Production readiness doesn’t come from the model; it comes from the architecture underneath it.You can’t optimize what you can’t see – Every run requires tracing for what the agent saw, what it did, where it failed, how long it took, and what it cost.Evaluation turns a demo into a decision – Clear evidence on performance, cost, and reliability turns a demo into an approved investment.

Info-Tech’s Five-Phase Framework to Develop an Agentic AI Prototype

Info-Tech’s blueprint outlines a practical five-phase methodology for developing defensible agentic AI prototypes:

Set up the development stack – Establish a reproducible development environment and runnable repository.Prepare data and build tools – Develop agent-ready data and custom tools for each integration point.Build agents – Create a runnable agentic system with guardrails and human-in-the-loop controls.Evaluate and optimize – Create an observable, measured, and optimized prototype.Document and showcase – Deliver a prototype demonstration and evidence pack that support scaling decisions.

The blueprint is designed specifically for organizations that have already completed Info-Tech’s Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype blueprint and are ready to transition into technical implementation. Supporting resources include coding tutorials, a development template, end-to-end examples, and presentation materials that help teams clearly communicate evaluation results, risk analysis, cost projections, and ROI considerations to leadership stakeholders.

In addition to implementation guidance, the research emphasizes embedding observability, cost controls, guardrails, and human oversight directly into the engineering process rather than layering them on afterward. By integrating these controls from the start, organizations can improve reliability, strengthen governance, and increase stakeholder confidence in agentic AI systems.

The blueprint also provides organizations with a structured approach to demonstrating measurable value. Through evidence packs that include evaluation results, cost projections, and validated demonstrations, leadership teams gain the transparency needed to make informed scaling and funding decisions.

For timely and exclusive commentary from AI implementation expert Meagan Peters of Info-Tech Research Group and access to the complete Develop Your Agentic AI Prototype blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group

Info-Tech Research Group is the “get things done” partner for over 30,000 IT, HR, and marketing leaders worldwide. The fastest growing research and advisory firm, Info-Tech enables leaders to make well-informed decisions and transform their organizations through AI, strategic foresight, step-by-step methodologies, practical tools, industry-leading advisory, and training programs. For nearly 30 years, tens of thousands of private and public organizations have trusted Info-Tech to lead their most important initiatives through periods of change and deliver outcomes that truly matter.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s HR research and advisory services, visit McLean & Company, and for data-driven software buying insights and vendor evaluations, visit the firm’s SoftwareReviews platform.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software, and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agentic-ai-initiatives-stall-when-prototypes-lack-production-discipline-says-info-tech-research-group-302852086.html

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group