The Future of Jobs
Imagine the world in 2030 and beyond, and you will realise that many careers which feel secure today will either be transformed or pushed aside by then.
New ones, some we cannot yet name, will emerge to take their place.
In this shifting landscape, the question therefore is not just “Which jobs will survive?” but “What kind of work, skills, and mindsets will thrive?”
This article draws on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs Report 2025 and related research to explore how the labour market is evolving, how fast change is likely to come, and what young people, current managers, and businesses must do to stay ahead.
We will anchor the discussion around the “Big 5” macro-trends that the Report identifies (geo-economic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, technological change, demographic shifts, and the green transition).
Finally, we will reflect on timelines and suggest actionable strategies for each stakeholder group.
The Big Five Trends Shaping the World of Work
Let’s set the stage by explaining the five forces that are reconfiguring work across sectors and geographies.
1. Geo-economic Fragmentation
Over recent years, as global interdependence has been questioned, countries have placed greater emphasis on sovereignty, industrial policy, and supply chain resilience.
The WEF Survey finds that 34 % of large employers expect geopolitical tensions and fragmentation to force a transformation of their operations over the next five years.
Meanwhile, 23% flag more restrictions on trade and investment, and 21% point to changing subsidy and industrial policy environments as disruptive forces.
This fragmentation matters for jobs because supply chains are being re-shored or localised, tariffs shift, and policy risk becomes a strategic consideration.
Businesses that once optimised globally may now need to reconfigure or duplicate capabilities across different regions. That has labour implications in terms of which geographies gain, which lose, and which skills become locally essential.
2. Economic Uncertainty
The post-COVID era has not been one of smooth recovery. Inflation, energy shocks, and financial stresses have all been par for the course.
The Report cites global growth projections of roughly 3.2% in 2025 and inflation moderating to approximately 3.5%, but these are fragile forecasts.
Economic volatility dampens investment, delays hiring, and makes firms more cautious about long-term upskilling bets.
It also raises the premium on agility: the ability to pivot resources, redesign work, contract or scale quickly. In uncertain environments, optionality becomes a virtue.
3. Technological Change
This is perhaps the most immediately visible driver.
The Report places AI and information processing technologies at the top, with 86% of surveyed employers expecting them to transform their business by 2030. Robots and autonomous systems are considered to likely be disruptive by 58% of employers, and energy generation and storage technologies by 41%.
Generative AI, in particular, is accelerating change, with the Report noting that investment in AI has multiplied significantly since 2022, lowering the barrier to use.
In essence, technology is shifting the boundary between human and machine tasks. Tasks once impossible to automate become feasible; others become augmented, where human and machine collaborate.
One illuminating fact is that employers estimate that across current jobs, 47% of tasks are done exclusively by humans, 22% by technology, and 30% in hybrid human-technology collaboration. By 2030, those proportions are expected to be more evenly distributed.
Skill disruption is also real. The Report finds that 39% of core skills required in 2030 will differ from today’s baseline (though this is marginally lower than the 44% projected in 2023, suggesting some stabilisation).
4. Demographic Shifts
Demographics are shaping both supply and demand in labour markets.
In higher‐income economies, birth rates are low and populations are ageing. In lower-income and emerging economies, the working-age population is expanding. The Report highlights that 49 % of current working-age people are in lower-income markets, and by 2050, that share may grow to 59 %.
From the demand side, ageing populations create a greater need for health care, elder care, rehabilitation, wellness, and supporting services.
Meanwhile, expanding youth populations in emerging economies intensify the need for education, skills training, and job creation. Demographic pressure is not uniform; some places will experience labour scarcity, while others will face underemployment.
5. The Green Transition
The imperative to decarbonise, adapt to climate impacts, and align with ESG and sustainability goals is no longer fringe; it’s central to business transformation.
The Report identifies that 47% of employers expect emissions-reduction efforts to shape their operations, and 41% expect climate adaptation to do so.
This translates into a demand for engineers in renewables, environmental scientists, carbon auditors, circular economy designers, specialists in adaptation (e.g., water management, resilience), and green retrofit skills.
These roles rank among the 15 fastest-growing jobs globally.
The Speed of Change: How Fast, and How Much?
One of the pressing debates is whether transformation will occur gradually or suddenly. The Report offers some anchor points:
Between 2025 and 2030, cumulative structural job creation and destruction may account for 22% of today’s jobs.That is, new roles will emerge equivalent to 14% of current employment (approximately 170 million new jobs). In comparison, roles equivalent to 8% (approximately 92 million) will be displaced, resulting in a net gain of 6% (approximately 78 million) of global jobs.
That implies a turnover rate of over 4% annually—a significant reallocation.
Supply of skills is a critical constraint: 63 % of employers name skill gaps as their top barrier to transformation (versus 60 % in 2023).
The proportion of core skills that will change (39%) suggests not wholesale replacement, but rather steady rebalancing of capability portfolios.
Technology adoption curves can be nonlinear: once a threshold is reached, uptake accelerates. Generative AI is a prime example.
Because multiple trends converge (technology, green, demographics, geopolitics), some sectors and regions may see compression: abrupt disruption rather than gradual drift.
It means that the transition will not be uniform. Early adopters, “front-runner” sectors, those with capital to invest, or those near tipping points will see sharper change. Others may lag but face catch-up risk.
What Young People Should Focus On
For those entering the workforce now or soon, it can feel destabilising, but it’s also a moment rich with opportunity. Here’s what to prioritise:
Meta-skills win the day. Technical knowledge matters, but skills like adaptability, learning how to learn, systems thinking, critical reasoning, emotional intelligence, resilience, and interdisciplinary fluency will be the differentiators. The Report underscores the growing premium on human-centred skills (e.g. leadership, social influence, self-awareness).
Blend technical with domain orientation. A pure technical specialist with zero domain knowledge may struggle to land traction. Focus on applying data, AI, or engineering skills to real-world sectors, including health, climate, energy, supply chain, agriculture, and public policy.
Adopt lifelong learning as a habit. Core skills shift, so you cannot “graduate once.” Micro-credentials, MOOCs, short courses, and hands-on projects will become the norm. (In fact, many employers already are embracing skill-based hiring, de-emphasising formal degrees in fields like AI or sustainability.)
Build a portfolio of options. Don’t rely on a single employer or role. Freelance stints, side projects, gig work, and cross-disciplinary experiments allow optionality as industries evolve.
Get comfortable with ambiguity and pivoting. The job you train for may not exist in five years, but the process of adaptation is itself a skill.
What Current Managers and Leaders Should Do
Managers, executives, and people leaders face the intense challenge of navigating change while sustaining performance. Here are key moves:
Conduct strategic skills audits. Map your existing workforce’s capabilities, identify gaps relative to near-future needs (not just today’s), and forecast required skill portfolios over multiple scenarios.
Embed continuous learning in workflows. Provide time, incentives, and infrastructure for upskilling (e.g. “learning sprints,” rotational programs, stretch assignments); Normalise iterative learning, not just episodic training.
Adopt hybrid human-AI operating models. Redesign roles not by subtracting technology, but rebalancing human + machine co-work. Decompose work into parts best handled by AI and parts requiring human judgment.
Rework hiring mindsets toward skills. As degree requirements become more flexible and experience or demonstrable skills become more decisive, consider using alternative signals, such as projects, portfolios, and assessments, to evaluate candidates.
Experiment with flexible structures. Agile teams, modular units, and decentralised decision rights can help respond faster to external shocks (geopolitics, supply constraints, regulatory shifts).
Foster inclusive transitions. Some workers will be displaced or need to shift tracks. Provide support (reskilling, redeployment, counselling). A socially stable adaptation is essential for long-term sustainability and a strong reputation.
Invest in future-oriented areas. Particularly in the context of the green transition, sustainability, energy, circular systems, resilience, and climate mitigation are key areas of focus. Roles in these areas will be among the fastest-growing.
What Businesses Must Prioritise and Invest In
At the organisational or ecosystem level, standing still is a losing proposition. Here are strategic imperatives:
Scenario planning across macro axes. Build alternative futures along the axes of geopolitics, climate, and technology; stress-test business models under scenarios of fragmentation, sanction regimes, carbon constraints, and technology decoupling.
Platform and modular design. Where possible, shift from monolithic models to modular, interoperable components. That allows parts to evolve or be exchanged without complete rewiring.
Talent portfolio management. View your workforce as a dynamic portfolio, comprising core (long-term roles), adjacent (roles likely to evolve), and optional (experiment or high-growth roles). Shift investment accordingly.
Partnerships and ecosystems. Weathering fragmentation means collaborating across regions, industries, the public sector, and academia. For example, solar, battery, grid, and regulation all interlock for green energy. No company can go it alone.
Reskilling infrastructure as a strategic asset. Build internal learning platforms, alliances with educational providers, and cultivate a culture of “training as an asset,” not cost. In some sectors, your learning system becomes a competitive moat.
Data and capability transparency. Utilise data to monitor skills supply, identify where capability gaps are emerging, and reallocate resources accordingly. Make skills mapping, career paths, and talent mobility visible to the organisation.
Manage transition risk. Recognise that in decarbonization, automation, or restructuring, transition risk (social, reputational, and political) must be managed through stakeholder engagement, public policy dialogue, and fair labour practices.
Conclusion
From now to 2030, the pace of change is projected to accelerate but with variation:
The first half of the period will see early adopters push technology and green systems into business operations, creating pockets of disruption.
By the mid-to-late period, network effects, falling costs, scale, and regulatory pressure will further deepen diffusion.
After 2030, new frontier technologies (quantum, synthetic biology, advanced robotics) may shift baselines further.
For many regions, the greatest challenge is catching the inflexion point. Those who delay reskilling, investing, or structural adaptation risk being too late.
The future of jobs is not predetermined.
While macro forces are powerful, human agency is also essential. Regions, firms, and individuals that invest strategically in skills, flexibility, and purpose will be best placed to ride the waves rather than be submerged by them.
In the coming decade, jobs will be less about traditionally rigid roles and more about evolving and ever-changing capability.
Until next time, remember that the work that remains, or emerges, will reward those who combine technical fluency with human sensibility, who pivot comfortably, and who see change not as a threat but as an opportunity.
Dion Le Roux
References
Future of Jobs Report 2025, World Economic Forum (WEF)
“Introduction: The global labour market landscape in 2025,” WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
“Drivers of labour-market transformation,” WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
Lexology, “Insights from the WEF future of jobs report 2025”
E-Trade For All, “The jobs of the future – and the skills you need to get them”
Academia: Bone, Ehlinger & Stephany, “Skills or Degree? The Rise of Skill-Based Hiring for AI and Green Jobs”