WEF Future of Work Report For 2025: These Jobs To Dominate This Year - See Details

As we step into 2025, the global workforce stands on the brink of monumental changes. The World Economic Forum's latest Future of Jobs Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the forces reshaping employment worldwide. 

With input from over 1,000 global employers representing 14 million workers, the report predicts a net growth of 78 million jobs by 2030, driven by rapid technological advancements, the green transition, and shifting demographics. However, 92 million roles are set to be displaced, emphasizing the urgent need for workforce adaptability.

Technology Leads the Charge in Job Creation
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), robotics, and digital access are revolutionizing industries. The report highlights that 86% of employers expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their businesses by 2030.

Roles such as AI specialists, software developers, and data scientists are among the fastest-growing, while clerical positions, including data entry and administrative assistants, face sharp declines.

Investment in AI has surged nearly eightfold since 2022, with firms increasingly adopting tools like ChatGPT to enhance productivity. However, disparities remain. While high-income countries lead AI adoption, lower-income nations struggle to keep pace, risking a widening skills gap.

The Green Transition Fuels Demand for New Skills
Climate change mitigation and adaptation rank as top drivers of workforce transformation. By 2030, demand for roles such as renewable energy engineers and environmental specialists is expected to soar. Nearly half of surveyed employers identified decarbonization efforts as a major factor in reshaping their industries.

In regions like Southeast Asia, 72% of businesses anticipate significant transformations due to green initiatives. However, the transition to sustainable practices requires substantial upskilling, as workers in carbon-intensive industries face displacement.

Demographic Shifts Reshape the Workforce
Two opposing demographic trends are influencing labour markets: ageing populations in high-income countries and a growing workforce in lower-income nations.

Ageing societies are driving demand for healthcare roles, such as nursing professionals, while education-related jobs are expanding in regions with younger populations.

Employers in high-income nations are increasingly prioritizing automation to address labour shortages, while emerging economies focus on creating inclusive job opportunities. The report warns that without adequate job creation, nearly 800 million young people in developing countries could face economic uncertainty by 2030.

Reskilling is Critical to Navigating Job Disruption
The report underscores that 39% of existing skill sets will become outdated by 2030, with analytical thinking, resilience, and technology literacy emerging as the most sought-after skills. Encouragingly, 85% of employers plan to prioritize workforce upskilling, and 50% aim to transition staff from declining roles to growing ones.

"The Future of Jobs Survey also finds that adoption of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives remains on the rise," the report notes, with 83% of employers implementing such strategies to expand talent pools.

Companies are leveraging public policies, such as funding for reskilling, to boost workforce readiness.

Balancing Automation and Human Collaboration
The interplay between humans and machines is expected to redefine job roles across sectors. By 2030, only 33% of tasks will be performed solely by humans, compared to 47% today.

While automation is set to dominate in industries like telecommunications, healthcare and education will see greater reliance on human-machine collaboration.

The report stresses the importance of developing technology that complements rather than replaces human capabilities. "Investment decisions and policy choices made today will determine whether technology enhances or displaces human work," it states.

A Call for Collective Action
The Future of Jobs Report 2025 paints a picture of both opportunity and challenge. While technological advancements and the green transition promise to create millions of new jobs, the displacement of traditional roles necessitates urgent action. Reskilling, inclusive job creation, and strategic policymaking will be critical in navigating these transitions.