The future of work: skills, attracting new talent and opportunities for companies by 2030
How to seize the opportunities created by market evolution.
The World Economic Forum recently released the2025 edition of the “Future of Jobs Report,” a two-year study that examines the changing world of work and the skills required by companies. To prepare the report, 1,043 companies, each with at least 500 employees, distributed in 55 countries were surveyed. These companies, which account for 88 percent of the world’s GDP and employ more than 14 million people, offer insight into how technological, economic and social changes are shaping the global labor market.
The future of work: 170 million new jobs and the challenge of retraining
The report predicts a major shift in the employment landscape by 2030. An estimated 170 million new jobs will be created due to global trends in technology, economics, demographics and ecological transition. However, about 92 million jobs will also be displaced or changed, leading to an urgent need for workforce retraining.
Skills: the biggest challenge for companies
According to the report, the skills gap continues to be the main barrier to business transformation. 63 percent of employers recognize the skills gap as the most significant barrier to the future of their companies. Nearly 40 percent of in-demand skills are expected to change in the next few years, making appropriate training urgent.
The skills most in demand will be technology skills, such as artificial intelligence, big data and cybersecurity, but also human skills such as creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and the ability to collaborate. The combination of technical and life skills will become increasingly crucial to meet the challenges of the changing job market.
The difficulty in attracting new talent
Another significant challenge concerns talent attraction: 37 percent of companies highlight difficulties in finding suitable professionals to support growth and innovation. Faced with the difficulty of finding talent, companies are adopting new strategies to attract and retain a skilled and diverse workforce. Key measures include: training and retraining initiatives; supporting employee health and well-being; promoting diversity, equity and inclusion; and encouraging remote working and flexibility.
Artificial intelligence and the need for retraining
Artificial intelligence is profoundly transforming business models, with half of employers planning to reorient their businesses to take advantage of the new opportunities offered by the technology. However, 41 percent also plan to reduce their workforce due to automation. To meet these challenges, many employers are planning to upgrade the training of their workforce, with 77 percent planning to invest in retraining their employees. In addition, about half of companies plan to move staff from at-risk roles to other internal positions, seeking to mitigate social harm and help fill the skills gap.