Employers are reckoning with the impact AI is having on their businesses — and reshaping their workforces to ensure they’re ready for an AI-enabled future.
The World Economic Forum recently surveyed 1,000 global employers, who collectively employ more than 14.1 million workers across 22 industries and 55 economies, for its Future of Jobs Report 2025. The comprehensive survey found that 86% of employers expect AI and information processing technologies to transform their business by 2030.
The new era requires new skills, and employers are reskilling and upskilling workers to close the gaps in their workforces. AI and big data top the list of fastest-growing skills, with titles like AI and machine learning specialist among the fastest-growing jobs, and the transformation is urgent for employees: 41% of employers plan to reduce staff whose skills are becoming less relevant or where roles are no longer needed.
Here’s what employers and employees need to know about the WEF report.
Skills demands are evolving
The last decade has been marked by high levels of skills instability, driven by rapidly advancing technologies. Across sectors, the skills required to remain competitive have continued to evolve, shaping employers’ approach to learning and development.
In particular, employers are focusing on reskilling and upskilling. The WEF survey found half of employees completed training as part of long-term learning strategies, compared to 41% in 2023. This emphasis on continuous learning may have helped curb skills disruption — employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030, down from 44% in 2023. While high levels of instability remain, these figures suggest employers are training their workforces in line with skills demands.
According to the report, technology-related roles are growing the fastest: fintech engineers, AI and machine learning specialists, and software and application developers top the list. Predictably, the skills central to these roles are gaining relevance, with two-thirds of businesses planning to hire talent with specific AI skills by 2030. However, employers should look beyond purely technical skills to thrive in a space driven by innovation; the WEF report anticipates the need for creative thinking, curiosity, and resilience will also increase in the next five years.
Employers are investing in their employees’ AI skills
Demand for skills outweighs supply in many sectors. According to the report, 63% of employers identified skills gaps as the primary barrier to business transformation. In this context, employers need to develop skills-focused talent strategies that support their wider business objectives.
Employers are investing in upskilling in an attempt to overcome these labor market skills gaps — 85% of employers surveyed by the WEF planned to do so. To upskill successfully, businesses should take a formal approach to learning and development, carrying out skills assessments and providing the resources and mentors employees need to advance in their current role or transition to another area of the organization.
AI and big data require special attention when it comes to upskilling. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 suggests employers understand the critical importance of these core skills, with 77% of those surveyed committed to reskilling and upskilling employees to work alongside AI. By training existing employees in responsible AI, GenAI, and data literacy, businesses can establish an AI-proficient workforce despite skills shortages in the labor market.
Bridging skills gaps with EdTech
As the World Economic Forum highlighted in 2024, the rise of AI and automation has created the need for accessible, flexible learning solutions. Traditional higher education alone cannot bridge the skills gaps created by these rapidly developing technologies.
“With a surge in demand across all tiers of the job market, platforms like Degreed, Interplay Learning, and Workera — all EdTech enterprises — are becoming pivotal in empowering individuals for success in the swiftly evolving job market,” the WEF wrote.
The Forum also pointed to the role of AI in ushering in a new era of education with personalized and efficient learning experiences: “AI is being implemented in essentially every education technology company and will have a profound impact on business models and learners. Innovative solutions such as Amira Learning, Sizzle AI and Workera AI are market leaders in using AI in education, leveraging AI to provide 1:1 support, skills intelligence and enhanced productivity, revolutionizing education.”
With scalable, AI-driven L&D solutions, enterprises can deliver personalized upskilling thousands of employees simultaneously. Workera’s AI agent, Sage, uses HR integrations and onboarding to understand individual users and deliver tailored learning experiences.
Increasingly, EdTech is coming into play even before a worker joins an organization. Almost half of employers surveyed by the World Economic Forum expect to incorporate skills assessments into their hiring processes. Evaluating skills gives employers a more complete understanding of a candidate's competencies, resulting in better hiring decisions. For jobseekers, skills assessments during the hiring process are a way to demonstrate abilities beyond lines on a resume.
While the Future of Jobs Report 2025 indicates what employers and employees can expect over the next five years, the future is anything but certain. AI and automation continue to advance quickly, and employers must prioritize continuous learning in order to adapt to changing skills demands. For workers, increased access to skill-specific training offers opportunities for self-improvement, career growth, and employability in an evolving job market.