Nearly One in Three UK Workers Lack Spreadsheet Confidence

New research points to a widening workplace digital-skills gap, with confidence in spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs and collaboration tools varying sharply across age groups and industries.

23 September 2026 — Almost a third of UK workers do not feel confident using spreadsheets, despite spreadsheet literacy being regarded as one of the most important digital skills in modern workplaces, according to new research from Adobe Acrobat.

The study, based on a survey of 2,000 UK adults, found that 29% lack confidence using tools such as Excel and Google Sheets, while 42% identified spreadsheet use as the most essential digital workplace skill. The findings highlight a broader challenge for employers as artificial intelligence, digital collaboration and document automation increase the level of technical capability expected across many roles.

The research also found that uncertainty is not limited to spreadsheets. Creating PowerPoint presentations produced the largest confidence gap, with 32% of respondents saying they were not confident completing the task, while 30% struggled with extracting or working with content in PDFs and another 30% lacked confidence using online collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, Slack and Google Docs.

Basic digital tasks remain a challenge

The findings suggest that many workplace technology gaps are concentrated not in highly technical systems, but in tools employees are already expected to use routinely.

File conversion tasks were a problem for 28% of respondents, while 27% lacked confidence signing and managing digital documents and 26% said the same about editing or formatting PDFs.

For employers, this can create hidden inefficiencies. Employees who struggle with routine digital processes may take longer to complete administrative work, rely more heavily on colleagues or avoid using certain tools altogether.

The issue is becoming more significant as businesses introduce AI-enabled software and increasingly digitised workflows. Advanced technology may offer productivity gains, but those gains can be limited if employees still lack confidence with foundational digital tasks.

PDF skills are becoming a growing pressure point

Adobe’s research identifies PDF-related tasks as one of the clearest workplace knowledge gaps.

Thirty percent of respondents said they lacked confidence extracting or working with content in PDFs. Search behaviour also suggests growing demand for support, with searches for “fill in PDF” increasing by 23% over the previous three months.

Other common searches include “compress PDF”, “merge PDF” and “edit PDF”, reflecting how often workers need to manipulate digital documents as part of everyday work.

Adobe also reports around 60,000 monthly searches for “edit PDF” and 37,000 for “remove pages from PDF”, while searches for “sign PDF” have increased by 23.5%.

The pattern suggests that document-management skills are becoming increasingly important as contracts, forms, approvals and internal workflows move away from paper.

A generational divide remains visible

The research also reveals a substantial age-related confidence gap.

Workers aged 18 to 34 reported the strongest confidence across most digital tasks, with 77% comfortable editing documents, 76% confident converting files and 73% comfortable extracting content from PDFs.

Among workers aged over 55, those figures fell significantly. Only 47% said they felt confident editing documents, 45% using spreadsheets and 43% extracting information from PDFs.

The groups also approach digital problems differently.

Half of respondents aged over 55 said they would ask a colleague or friend for help when struggling with a digital task. Among 18-to-34-year-olds, 40% said they would instead search online for the solution.

For employers, this does not necessarily indicate lower capability among older workers, but it does suggest that different generations may benefit from different approaches to training and support.

Some industries face larger gaps than others

The study also found notable differences between sectors.

Among professionals working in fast-moving consumer goods, 50% said they lacked confidence editing or formatting documents, making it one of the largest industry-specific gaps identified in the research.

The arts and culture sector showed a different pattern. Thirty-nine percent of respondents in the industry reported difficulty using spreadsheets, while the same proportion struggled with file conversions.

These variations suggest that digital-skills programmes may be more effective when tailored to the actual tools used within each industry rather than relying on generic workplace training.

AI makes foundational digital literacy more important

The findings arrive as workplaces increasingly adopt generative AI, automated document processing and digital collaboration platforms.

While new tools can simplify some tasks, they also increase the number of systems employees are expected to understand.

This creates a paradox for employers: technology can reduce manual work, but the benefits depend on workers having enough digital confidence to use those technologies effectively.

For cities and regional economies, the issue also has implications for employability and workforce development. As more roles become digitally enabled, access to practical technology training is becoming part of the infrastructure needed to support local labour markets.

Workers who lack confidence with spreadsheets, document tools or collaboration platforms may find themselves at a disadvantage even in occupations that are not traditionally classified as technology roles.

Training may need to focus on everyday tools

Adobe’s findings suggest businesses may need to reconsider what constitutes digital upskilling.

Training strategies often focus on emerging technologies such as AI, analytics or automation. However, the research indicates that many employees still need support with spreadsheets, presentations, document management and file conversion.

These are relatively basic tasks, but they are also the foundation on which more advanced digital workflows depend.

Rather than assuming employees already possess those skills, organisations may need to assess confidence levels directly and provide practical training that reflects the day-to-day requirements of different roles.

As digital transformation continues, the workplace skills gap may therefore be less about access to technology and more about whether employees feel capable of using the tools already in front of them.

About Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is Adobe’s suite of tools for creating, editing, converting, managing and signing PDF documents. Its products are available across desktop, mobile and web and include Acrobat Reader, Standard, Pro and Studio.

Methodology

Adobe Acrobat surveyed 2,000 UK adults through 3Gem in April 2026 to examine workplace digital skills, confidence gaps and attitudes toward common workplace technologies.