The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published its Future of Jobs Report 2025, which brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers—collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world. The report examines how global macrotrends impact jobs and skills, and how current business trends and strategies will transform the workforce across the 2025 to 2030 timeframe.
Human Level’s Take:
- The global workforce is undergoing a major transformation, shaped by technology, economic pressures, environmental imperatives, geopolitical shifts, and demographic changes. These forces are redefining jobs as we know them.
- The report highlights the dual nature of these shifts, with some roles experiencing rapid growth while others decline. Adaptability will be crucial for both companies and workers, as emerging job market demands require new skills and capacity to navigate change.
- From 2025 to 2030, several trends will define the global labour market. Increased digital access and advancements in technology, such as AI, are expected to create new jobs but also reduce roles in certain sectors like office work and manufacturing. Economic challenges, including rising living costs and slower growth, is another trend driving the need for worker resilience, flexibility, and creative problem-solving skills. Geopolitical instability (especially driven by the US and China) will be also moving some companies to offshore more of their operations and causing others to re-shore theirs.
- Climate change mitigation and adaptation make up another critical driver of workforce transformation, prompting increased investment in environmental stewardship, renewable energy, and green infrastructure. This shift will be fuelling a growth in the demand for roles in energy specialists, environmental stewardship and the development of electric/autonomous vehicles.
- For workers, these trends mean an increasing need adapt to the changing demands, as 39% of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period. The scale of workforce up-skilling and re-skilling needed is significant: if the world’s workforce was made up of 100 people, 59 would need training or re-training by 2030. The report finds that many – up to 11 of those 59 workers – would be unlikely to receive the re-skilling or up-skilling needed, leaving their employment prospects increasingly at risk.
- A just transition will depend on businesses investing heavily in re-skilling and up-skilling to prepare workers for roles in the new digitalised and green economy. To navigate these changes effectively and minimise negative impacts, businesses must address skill gaps, which are cited as the biggest barrier to business transformation and the green transition.
Key takeaways:
- Key trends shaping the global workforce by 2030. By 2030, increased digital access will have the biggest impact on the workforce, with 60% of employers expecting it to reshape their businesses. Advances in AI, robotics, automation, and energy systems are transforming how jobs are structured. Half of employers plan to adjust their operations for AI, with two-thirds hiring AI-skilled workers, while 40% foresee job reductions due to automation. In addition, rising living costs and a global economic slowdown are the second most significant trend, which is expected to displace 1.6 million jobs globally but also boost demand for new types of skills, such as creative thinking, resilience, and flexibility. The green transition is the third major transformative force, with both climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts driving growth in new green jobs like renewable energy and autonomous vehicle specialists and new areas for business growth, such as environmental stewardship. Additionally, demographic shifts—such as aging populations in wealthier nations and growing workforces in lower-income regions—will be expanding working age populations in lower-income economies. They will also increase demand for skills like mentoring, talent management, and healthcare.
- How will these trends impact the global workforce? The number of available jobs globally is projected to grow by 14%, with 170 million new roles created by 2030. However, this growth is expected to be offset by the displacement of the equivalent of 8% (or 92 million) of current jobs, resulting in net growth of 7% of total employment, or 78 million jobs. Workers, especially, will need to adapt to the changing demands, as 39% of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period. When it comes to shifts in job types, frontline roles such as farmworkers, delivery drivers, and construction workers will see the largest growth, while care economy and education roles like nurses and teachers will also expand. Tech-related roles, including AI specialists and software developers will be those growing the fastest, alongside green jobs like renewable energy engineers. Conversely, assisting roles like cashiers, administrative assistants and clerks are predicted to decline significantly, reflecting the shift toward automation and digitisation.
- Preparing for the future: what can companies do to prepare for upcoming workforce shifts and prevent negative impacts on workers in their operations and supply chains? Skill gaps are the biggest obstacle to a successful workforce transformation, and 63% of employers express that they see this as a challenge. By 2030, nearly 60% of the workforce will need training, though some employees risk being left behind. The scale of workforce up-skilling and re-skilling needed is significant: if the world’s workforce was made up of 100 people, 59 would need training or re-training by 2030. The report finds that many – up to 11 of those 59 workers – would be unlikely to receive the re-skilling or up-skilling needed, leaving their employment prospects increasingly at risk. Employers are addressing skill gaps through up-skilling, redeploying staff and focusing on employee well-being—identified as a key strategy by 64% of businesses. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are also becoming more prevalent, with 83% of employers reporting having programs in place, which is an increase from 67% in 2023. Companies are also planning wage increases to attract and retain talent, with 52% expecting to allocate a larger share of revenue to pay by 2030. These strategies can help businesses navigate workforce changes while supporting employees in adapting to new demands.
