New Skills And AI Are Reshaping The Future Of Work – OpEd |
Technological change has reshaped job markets for centuries. But the benefits have not always been widely shared. As AI and digital technologies transform today’s workplace, even those at the forefront of innovation are not immune to disruption, as recent job cuts at major technology companies show.
Yet new roles are also emerging, as others disappear. New skills, new tasks, and entirely new occupations are being created alongside automation, offering alternative pathways for prosperity.
For workers, finding or keeping a job will increasingly depend on the ability to update skills or learn new ones. Our latest analysis of millions of online vacancies reveals the scale of the demand for new skills: one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill.
Professional, technical, and managerial roles are seeing the most demand for new skills, particularly in IT, which accounts for more than half of this demand. Sector-specific capabilities are also trending. Healthcare, for instance, is seeing a surge in telecare and digital health skills, while marketing increasingly demands expertise in social media.
The changing face of the labor market is, understandably, creating anxiety among workers. With nearly 40 percent of global jobs exposed to AI-driven change, concerns about job displacement and declining opportunities for some groups are becoming more acute. This underscores the need for proactive and comprehensive policymaking that prepares the labor force........