The previous edition of VDC News referenced the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025. In this edition of VDC News we dig a little deeper into what the report says about the major drivers of change in the global labour market by 2030.
The report compiles the perspectives of more than 1,000 global employers which employ more than 14 million people across 22 industries in 55 countries. They predict the following transformative changes will lead to the creation of 170 million new jobs (14% of the global workforce), the destruction of 22% of current jobs globally, and the displacement of 92 million current jobs (8% of the current total). While the overall trend is positive, i.e. an increase in total employment of 78 million jobs by 2030, there will be disruptions to various industries and occupations.
“Broadening digital access is expected to be the most transformative trend… particularly AI and information processing (identified by 86% of respondents), robotics and automation (58%), and energy generation, storage and distribution (41%).”
Cost of living and general economic conditions are identified as the second most significant trends – which employers link to an expected increase in demand for creative thinking and resilience, flexibility and agility skills.
Climate change mitigation was identified as the third-most transformative trend, with 47% expecting it to transform business and a further 41% referencing climate change adaptation.
Demographic shifts – the aging population and declining working age population in higher-income economies like Australia are driving an increase in demand for “skills in talent management, teaching and mentoring, and motivation and self-awareness. Aging populations drive growth in healthcare jobs such as nursing professionals…”
Finally ‘geoeconomic fragmentation’ is driving demand for network and cybersecurity skills and for ‘human-centred skills’ such as “resilience, flexibility and agility skills, and leadership and social influence.”
The WEF suggests we can expect the largest growth in global employment in frontline roles such as:
- Farmworkers
- Delivery drivers
- Construction workers
- Salespersons
- Food processing workers
- Care economy jobs (including nurses, social work and counselling professionals, personal care aides), and
- Tertiary and secondary education teachers.
In percentage terms the fastest growing jobs will be technology and green energy roles including:
- Big data specialists
- Fintech engineers
- AI and machine learning specialists
- Software and app developers
- Autonomous and electric vehicle specialists
- Environmental engineers
- Renewable energy engineers.
Occupations expected to see the biggest decline in employment include:
- Clerical and secretarial workers (including cashiers, ticket clerks, administrative assistance and executive secretaries)
- Postal service clerks
- Bank tellers
- Data entry clerks.
