PENNSYLVANIA — As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the American workplace heading into 2026, a new nationwide survey suggests that workers are quietly redrawing the map of job security — not around pay or perks, but around how “human” their employer still feels.
Resume.io surveyed 3,036 workers across the United States and asked a deceptively simple question: If you had to pick an employer tomorrow for long-term job security in an AI-driven world, who would it be?
The answers point to a growing belief that certain organizations will remain anchored in intuition, empathy, creativity, and human judgment — qualities that technology can enhance but not replace.
Topping the national list was Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont, followed by Coca-Cola in Georgia and the Four Seasons Resort Maui in Hawaii. Health care, higher education, hospitality, and mission-driven public institutions dominated the rankings, reflecting worker confidence in sectors where human connection is central to the job.
Pennsylvania companies also stood out.
The Hershey Company ranked fourteenth nationwide, reflecting its reputation for craftsmanship, teamwork, and a strong community culture. Workers surveyed described the chocolate maker as a place where subtle human decisions, quality control, and pride in the product still define daily work, even as automation expands.
Penn State University placed twenty-eighth, with respondents citing its people-powered campus culture built on teaching, mentoring, and community. Employees see the university as a long-term anchor because its mission is rooted in human development rather than automation.
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, ranked thirty-third, was recognized for work that still hinges on instinct, emotional intelligence, and split-second decision-making. Despite advanced medical technology, workers said the heart of care at UPMC remains deeply human.
Amanda Augustine, a Certified Professional Career Coach and resident career expert at resume.io, said the results show a fundamental shift in how Americans think about employment.
“Not long ago, people chose employers based on the usual mix of salary, flexibility, and perhaps the company values,” Augustine said. “What this survey reveals is a meaningful shift: workers are now thinking more deliberately about whether a company can offer long-term stability in an AI-driven world.”
She said the top-ranked employers are seen as “human-powered” organizations that use technology to support people, not replace them — a distinction that is becoming increasingly important as automation spreads across industries.
The full survey reinforces a growing reality for the modern workforce: in an age of algorithms, workers are gravitating toward employers where judgment, creativity, care, and human connection remain at the center of the mission.
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