World Economic Forum reports that 170 million new jobs will emerge this decade

According to the Future of Jobs Report 2025 report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) approximately 170 million new jobs are anticipated to emerge this decade as a result of significant global trends.

The report highlighted the revolution of the labour market over the next five years, noting that technological advancements, the green transition, and economic and demographic shifts are key drivers behind this transformation.

These newly created jobs will account for 14 per cent of current employment levels. However, the same trends will also result in the displacement of 92 million roles, leading to a net increase of 78 million jobs.

To understand the nature of these new roles and the skills required to secure them, the report surveyed over 1,000 of the world’s largest employers, spanning 22 industry sectors and representing more than 14 million workers.

This analysis offers crucial insights into the future landscape of work and the competencies needed to thrive in the evolving job market.

Five jobs of the future

The demand for roles driven by technological advancements, such as artificial intelligence (AI), is increasing rapidly.

Jobs including big data specialists, fintech engineers, and AI and machine learning experts are growing swiftly in percentage terms.

“….technology-related trends and overall – with 60% of employers expecting it to transform their business by 2030. Advancements in technologies, particularly AI and information processing (86%); robotics and automation

(58%); and energy generation, storage and distribution (41%), are also expected to be – transformative”, according to the report.

However, when considering absolute numbers, the situation is slightly different. A recent report, which combines data from surveyed companies with employment statistics from the International Labour Organization, highlights the 15 professions expected to see the most significant net growth and decline.

Farmworkers are at the top of the list of rapidly expanding jobs. Green transition trends, aimed at reducing carbon emissions and addressing the climate crisis, are predicted to generate an additional 34 million farmworker roles by 2030, supplementing the current 200 million. Additionally, increasing digital access and the rising cost of living are further contributing to this growth.

Other professions experiencing substantial growth include delivery drivers, software developers, building construction workers, and shop salespersons, which round out the top five.

In addition, food processing workers are among those seeing significant increases. Care-related jobs, such as nursing professionals, social workers, and counselling professionals, are also expected to grow substantially over the next five years. This trend can be attributed to demographic shifts, particularly the ageing of the working-age population, as noted in the report.