The world's best employers of 2026, according to Forbes

Artificial intelligence is freeing up workers' time, and many say no one has told them what to do with it. In a Boston Consulting Group survey of 12,000 workers, about 67% said AI had taken over simple tasks and freed them for more complex projects. About 66% said management had offered no guidance on how to use those reclaimed hours. The BCG authors say employees benefit from clear direction and a view of the company's larger vision.

That gap is the backdrop for the world's best employers 2026 ranking from Forbes. It is the seventh annual edition of the list, which Forbes built with Statista, a market research firm. The survey behind it gathered responses from more than 300,000 employees in more than 50 countries. The final ranking names 900 companies headquartered in 52 countries.

Mark Khater, head of the University of Cambridge's Centre for Strategy and Performance, describes what separates the strongest international employers. In his view, they give people clarity on shared goals, "access to the capabilities they need, and trust in how they get there." He says the best companies set common principles but leave employees to decide how to manage their own output.

Khater also argues that pay is only part of the picture. "People rarely stay because of compensation alone," he says. He adds that employees feel acknowledged when recognition is in place. In those organizations, he says, growth becomes a core capability of the company itself.

Forbes contributor Haniya Rae's write-up of the ranking does not reproduce all 900 honorees. It names nine companies along with their positions. Those nine run from Microsoft $MSFT at No. 1 to Nedbank at No. 26.

The slides that follow cover each of those nine companies in rank order, using the position Forbes assigned to each one. They are a selection from the list, not its top 10. The final slide explains how Forbes and Statista gathered and weighted the survey data. It also covers Forbes' statement that companies cannot pay to be included.

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Microsoft $MSFT is No. 1 on Forbes' 2026 list of the World's Best Employers.

On the same ranking, Delta Air Lines comes in at No. 2 and Shopify $SHOP at No. 3.

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Delta Air Lines is No. 2 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list. Microsoft $MSFT is the only company ranked above it.

Among the nine ranked companies that Forbes' write-up names, Delta sits directly ahead of Shopify $SHOP, which is No. 3.

The write-up gives Delta's position and nothing more about the company. It does not describe Delta's benefits, pay, culture or employee feedback. It also does not report whether Delta moved up or down from the previous year's list.

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Shopify $SHOP is No. 3 on Forbes' 2026 list of the world's best employers. The Forbes write-up gives the company's position but no detail on its benefits, pay or culture.

Tobi Lutke, Shopify's CEO, has spelled out how he expects staff to work with artificial intelligence. CNBC reports that Lutke sent employees a memo about requests for more headcount and resources. Before making such a request, staff would be expected to show why they could not get the task done using AI.

Lutke also wrote that using AI in daily work is a basic expectation for Shopify employees. He said AI usage would be taken into account in performance reviews.

Forbes' ranking does not cite any specific workplace practice as the reason for Shopify's position.

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Costco $COST is No. 4 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list. That places it between Shopify $SHOP at No. 3 and Nvidia $NVDA at No. 5.

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Nvidia $NVDA is No. 5 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list.

That places the company directly below Costco $COST, at No. 4, and directly above Adobe $ADBE, at No. 6.

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Adobe $ADBE is No. 6 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list. That puts it one place behind Nvidia $NVDA, which Forbes ranked No. 5.

Adobe closes the unbroken run of ranks, from No. 1 through No. 6, that Forbes contributor Haniya Rae's article identifies. The article does not name the companies at Nos. 7, 8 and 9. The next honoree it lists is LEGO at No. 10.

The Forbes write-up gives no further detail on Adobe. It does not describe the company's benefits, pay or culture, and it does not report where Adobe ranked in earlier editions of the list.

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LEGO is No. 10 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list. It is the last named honoree to fall within the ranking's first 10 places.

Forbes gives LEGO's position on the list but no other information about the company. Its write-up does not describe LEGO's pay, benefits, culture or workplace policies. It also carries no comment from LEGO executives or staff.

Forbes does not report where LEGO placed in earlier editions of the ranking. Its coverage gives no indication of whether the company rose, fell or held steady this year.

The companies at Nos. 7, 8 and 9 go unnamed in the Forbes coverage. Among the companies Forbes does identify, LEGO follows Adobe $ADBE, which holds No. 6. The next named company after LEGO is Spotify $SPOT, at No. 21.

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Spotify $SPOT is No. 21 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list. The Sweden-based company offers streaming for music, podcasts and video.

Anna Lundström, Spotify's chief human resources officer, says the company looks at two things in each employee's work. One is whether the work matters to the person doing it. The other is whether it reflects the company's values.

Lundström links that focus to commitment, culture and business performance. "Meaningful work drives purpose, and purpose drives commitment, a great culture and a strong business," she says.

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Nedbank is No. 26 on Forbes' 2026 World's Best Employers list.