If 2025 felt like a car with a sputtering engine—sprinting one moment and stalling the next—2026 is shaping up to be the year where the speed limits are strictly enforced.
Last year was defined by mixed signals: the economy shuffled nervously ahead of tariffs, AI raced forward while public trust lagged behind, and inflation data couldn't keep a steady pace. As we look toward 2026, Quartz reporters have placed their bets on which sectors are flooring the accelerator and which are stuck in the slow lane.
Here is your guide to the pace of the coming year.
🚀 What’s Moving Faster in 2026
Next year, speed is a deliberate choice for thrill-seekers, the ultra-wealthy, and autonomous tech. Unfortunately, the pace of job cuts is also accelerating.
1. Rollercoasters are getting serious
Theme parks are done with optical illusions; they are going for raw speed.
Six Flags is launching the Tormenta Rampaging Run, hitting top speeds of 87 mph with a 95-degree drop.
Universal Studios Hollywood is opening a Fast & Furious coaster that clocks in at 72 mph.
Legoland keeps it modest with the Galacticoaster (40 mph), proving that "fast" is relative.
2. The Era of "Forever Layoffs"
While the economy holds an "A+++++" grade from some perspectives, the workforce tells a different story. Employers laid off over 1.1 million workers in 2025, a number not seen since the pandemic.
The Trend: Glassdoor warns of a shift toward "forever layoffs"—smaller, frequent cuts rather than massive, one-time purges. This is expected to stoke worker anxiety well into 2026.
3. The Billionaire Boom
The wealth gap is widening at breakneck speed. The U.S. is now home to nearly one-third of the world's billionaires, with 200 new members joining the club in 2025 alone. Fueled by AI tech booms and favorable tax laws, 2026 is projected to mint even more, while Tesla CEO Elon Musk tracks toward becoming the world's first trillionaire.
4. Autonomous Rides (But mostly Waymo)
While Tesla struggles with regulatory hurdles and "Full Self-Driving" definitions, Waymo is quietly hitting the gas.
Waymo expects to deliver 1 million fully autonomous rides per week by the end of 2026.
Uber and other competitors are launching pilots in cities from Los Angeles to Munich.
The industry is moving from "experimental" to "operational discipline."
🛑 What’s Slowing Down in 2026
Not everything is about speed. In 2026, technical resets, skepticism, and practicality are forcing some sectors to pump the brakes.
1. Formula 1 Lap Times
Paradoxically, the fastest sport on Earth is slowing down. Due to new aerodynamic regulations and a required 50:50 power split between electrical systems and internal combustion, 2026 cars are simulating lap times about 1.5 seconds slower than their predecessors.
2. The Hiring Market
If you have a job, hold onto it. Hiring plans plummeted 35% year-over-year in 2025, hitting a 15-year low.
Entry-level freeze: Two-thirds of organizations plan to slow entry-level hiring further.
The culprit: It’s a mix of AI displacement, tariff uncertainty, and rising operational costs.
3. The IRS
The taxman is losing steam. Following the "DOGE" initiative and budget cuts, the IRS shed 26% of its workforce in 2025. With audits falling and a brain drain in IT and taxpayer services, the agency is entering 2026 slower and leaner, raising concerns about its ability to catch fraud or assist filers.
4. Public Tolerance for AI
The "wow" factor is gone; the "trust" factor is missing.
The Trust Gap: While 35% of Americans use AI weekly, only 5% trust it "a lot."
"Slop" Fatigue: People are tired of low-quality, AI-generated content.
2026 Outlook: Expect a push for "off switches" and strict labeling. As users get tired of hallucinated answers, the "human option" may become a luxury product.
5. Electric Vehicles (EVs)
The days of marketing EVs based on 0-60 mph times are fading. The 2026 market is prioritizing range, charging infrastructure, and price over raw acceleration.
New models like the 2026 Nissan Leaf are slower (7 seconds to 60 mph) but more affordable.
Buyers have spoken: They care more about reaching their destination than how fast they leave the driveway.
2026 will be a year of calibration. We will see physical speeds increase in our entertainment and transportation, but economic and cultural speeds—hiring, trust in tech, and government operations—are hitting a plateau. As the world adjusts its pace, we’ll be watching to see who keeps up and who gets left behind.