The Future of Work Report (2025)

Future of Jobs Report 2025, World published by the World Economic Forum, January is a study released in 2025 aiming to shed light on the five-year future of global labor markets. analytic This report constitutes the fifth edition of the Future of Jobs series, which has been published biennially since 2016.

This study is based on projections from over 1,000 employers representing more than 14 million workers across 55 economies and 22 industry clusters. The findings are supported by both qualitative and quantitative data and enriched with sector-specific insights gathered from partners including ADP, Coursera, Indeed, LinkedIn like data.

The primary objective of the report is to analyze the impact of technological advancements, green trans seems you've provided only the Turkish word "dönüşüm" without additional context. In English, this word translates to:**transformation**If this term appears in a specific context (e.g., historical, scientific, social, or technical), please provide the full sentence or paragraph for a more accurate and nuanced translation. Otherwise, "transformation" is the standard encyclopedic equivalent., demographic shifts, geo-economic fragmentation, and economic uncertainties on labor markets, and to provide forecasts on emerging occupations, skill requirements, and employer strategies. It also examines employers’ plans regarding workforce strategies such as reskilling and upskilling, and assesses the impact of skill gaps on the business landscape.

• Publishing Organization: World Economic Forum
• Publication Date: January 2025
• ISBN: 978-2-940631-90-2
• Publication Location: Cologny/Geneva, Switzerland
• Total Number of Participating Employers: 1,000+
• Number of Workers Covered: 14 million+
• Number of Economies Covered: 55
• Number of Industries Covered: 22 industry clusters

In light of this information, the Future of Jobs Report 2025 serves as a multifaceted reference resource not only for the business community but also for policymakers, educational institutions, and civil society organizations.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 has been prepared by the World Economic Forum to forecast, analyze, and identify the key drivers shaping transformations in global labor markets between 2025 and 2030. Its central goal is to comprehensively assess future occupations, skills, and employer strategies within the framework of five major macro trends affecting the workforce.

The report seeks to answer the following key questions:

• Which structural trends will shape labor markets between 2025 and 2030?
• How will these trends impact occupations, industries, and regions?
• Which skills will be in highest demand in the future?
• How are employers preparing for this transformation and what strategies are they developing?
• What role do reskilling and upskilling programs play?

To this end, the report generates data at both global and regional levels, offering a comparative, cross-sectoral perspective on workforce transformation. The ultimate target is to provide stakeholders—employers, policymakers, educational institutions, and workers—with an evidence-based frame to navigate a complex transformation process.

The scope of the report is broad both in content and geography. Content-wise, it is structured around five key themes:

• Technological Change: The impact of artificial intelligence, information processing technologies, automation, robotic systems, and energy technologies on the world of work.

• Green Transition: The effect of carbon reduction and climate adaptation strategies on occupational groups and skill needs.

• Geo-economic Fragmentation: The implications of reshaped global supply chains, industrial policies, and trade restrictions on labor markets.

• Economic Uncertainty: The impact of inflation, rising living costs, and low-growth environments on employment.

• Demographic Shifts: The opportunities and challenges posed by aging populations and expanding labor pools across countries and sectors.

Geographically, the report covers 55 countries and 22 industry clusters within these nations. Participating firms represent more than 14 million workers in total. In this context, the report takes into account not only global trends but also regional and sector-specific variations.

This report is not merely an attempt to identify a situation; it is a action for action offering forward-looking recommendations. It aims to serve as a important reference for shaping labor policies, restructuring education systems, and achieving inclusive growth objectives. In this regard, the report can be considered a strategic vehicle not only for the private sector but also for government, academia, and civil society.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 was developed using a original design by the World Economic Forum, grounded in quantitative-analytical methods. Work It is based on a comprehensive survey conducted in the second half of 2024. The primary data source is the results of the “Future of Jobs Survey 2024.”

The survey systematically collects participants’ projections on employment growth or contraction by occupation, changes in skill requirements, reskilling strategies, hiring approaches, and views on technological transformation. In this way, the study integrates both descriptive and predictive analyses. Furthermore, the findings are interpreted according to internationally recognized methodological standards.

To enhance the reliability and representativeness of the data, the following criteria were observed:

• Balanced representation across all sectors,
• Geographic distribution reflecting the global labor market structure,
• Consideration of varying employment structures according to firm size.

A total of over 1,000 employers participated in the research, operating across 22 industry clusters. When evaluated, these participating organizations represent more than 14 million workers. Data were collected from both public and private sector institutions.

Participants cover five continents, 55 countries, and economies at various income levels. Regional analyses in the report are presented not only as global averages but also at the level of regional and sectoral subgroups. Below are some key statistics of the participant profile painting:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

Survey data were complemented by large-scale labor market datasets from global platforms. In this context, training trends from Coursera, employment trends from Indeed and LinkedIn, and labor data from ADP were integrated. These datasets have strengthened the report’s sectoral depth and skill-based analytical capacity.

The scope of the report is limited to sectors and regions meeting statistical thresholds. Consequently, countries or small sectors with low representation are excluded from the general analysis. Additionally, the report considers only formal employment, excluding informal labor markets. This situation has resulted in certain employment structures in developing economies not being adequately reflected.

As of 2025, global labor markets have entered a restructuring phase, moving beyond the lingering effects of the pandemic period. However, this process is shaped by a complex transformation involving interwoven economic, technological, demographic, environmental, and geopolitical factors.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies five primary determinants of this restructuring:

• Technological breakthroughs (particularly artificial intelligence and information processing technologies),
• Green transition (decarbonization and climate adaptation),
• Geo-economic fragmentation (supply chain realignment and protectionist policies),
• Economic uncertainty (high living costs and stagnant growth),
• Demographic shifts (aging populations and expanding labor pools).

Globally, the unemployment rate declined to 4.9% in 2025, the lowest level since 1991. However, this overall improvement is not evenly distributed at regional or societal levels:

• In low-income countries, unemployment rose to 5.3%.

• Female unemployment is declining more slowly than male unemployment, standing at 5.2% for women and 4.8% for men.

• Youth unemployment remains at 13% globally, exceeding 25% in low- and middle-income economies.

In addition, the proportion of young people neither in employment nor in education or training (NEET) reached 27.6% in low-income countries, compared to only 10.1% in high-income countries. These disparities point to serious structural challenges in skill development and transitions to productive employment.

The International Labour Organization’s (ILO) “job gap” indicator provides a broader measure than unemployment alone, incorporating underemployment. As of 2024, a global shortfall of 402 million jobs exists. This gap has widened in low-income countries compared to pre-pandemic levels. The disparity is even more pronounced for women:

In low-income economies, the job gap for women is 7.5 percentage points higher than for men. Below is a visualization of this situation:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies five key macro trends that will drive profound changes in the workforce between 2025 and 2030. These trends are not isolated; rather, they interact, trigger, overlap, or balance one another. According to employer expectations, these trends are ranked as follows:

One of the report’s most prominent findings is the growing transformative impact of expanded digital access and artificial intelligence (particularly generative AI) and other information processing technologies in the workplace. Sixty percent of employers indicate that expanded digital access will directly transform their business models. The technological areas with the highest transformative potential are:

• Artificial intelligence and information processing (86%),
• Robotics and autonomous systems (58%),
• Energy production, storage, and distribution technologies (41%).

These technologies are both creating new jobs and transforming or eliminating existing ones.

Fifty percent of employers anticipate that rising living costs will transform their businesses by 2030. This trend affects not only consumer behavior but also workforce planning, compensation policies, and employee motivation. Although inflation is showing signs of decline, suppressed real incomes are driving businesses to adopt new strategies.

Combating climate change (emission reduction) and climate adaptation are viewed by employers as transformative forces with respective impacts of 47% and 41%. Key emerging occupations in this context include:

• Renewable energy engineers,
• Electric vehicle specialists,
• Environmental engineers.

This trend is reshaping not only occupations but also skill sets, rapidly elevating previously uncommon skills such as environmental responsibility to critical competencies.

Two opposing demographic trends are affecting the workforce differently:

• Aging populations and shrinking labor pools in high-income economies are increasing demand for health and care services.

• Growing youth populations in low- and middle-income economies are placing education, training, and employment policies at the center of national agendas.

Forty percent of employers state that aging populations and declining labor forces will transform their business models, while 25% believe expanding youth labor pools will do so.

Disruptions in global supply chains, trade restrictions, and rising protectionism are prompting firms to reassess their operational footprints. Among participating firms:

• 34% view geopolitical tensions,
• 23% view global trade and investment restrictions, and
• 21% view subsidies and industrial policies

as decisive factors in transforming their business models. These trends are increasing demand for labor in areas such as security, cybersecurity, supply chain management, and strategic risk management.

The following graph shows, according to employer perceptions, which macro trends are expected to have the greatest impact on workforce transformation:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

According to the above graph and Future of Jobs Report 2025 data, employers rank the macro trends they believe will most significantly influence workforce transformation between 2025 and 2030. As shown, digitalization (%60) and rising living costs (%50) rank first and second, followed by green transition-related trends and geopolitical factors.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 forecasts that over the next five years (2025–2030), global labor markets will experience simultaneous dynamics of growth and contraction. According to the report, approximately 23% of the 673 occupations analyzed are expected to decline, while 69% will remain stable or grow. This translates to a net employment increase of 2.3%.

This projected increase corresponds to the creation of approximately 69 million new jobs alongside the disappearance of 83 million jobs. This indicates that the labor market will simultaneously present opportunities and threats, with transformation proceeding through both gains and losses.

The report reveals that the occupations expected to grow most rapidly between 2025 and 2030 are shaped by two main trends: technological transformation and sustainability-driven restructuring. Key emerging occupational groups include:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

These occupations are concentrated in service sectors undergoing restructuring due to environment policies and accelerating digitalization.

The majority of occupations projected to decline are affected by automation, digitalization, and cost optimization. The most impacted areas are administrative support services and traditional information processing roles:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

The decline of these occupations supports a future vision in which low-skill jobs are increasingly replaced by automation.

Analysis of employer responses reveals a striking pattern: growing occupations require high skill levels, while declining occupations are predominantly low-skill. This signals a structural transformation in the labor market. Specifically, for educational institutions and policymakers:

• Priority must be given to technical and digital skills,
• Development of sustainability and environment-focused skills must be encouraged,
• Reskilling programs for low-skill occupational groups must be accelerated.

In this context, employment is being redefined not only quantitatively but also qualitatively.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 demonstrates that workforce transformation is not limited to occupations; the competency profiles required for these occupations are also undergoing continuous and dynamic change. The report provides a comprehensive analysis of skill groups experiencing the greatest increases, declines, and volatility according to employer expectations.

Projections for the 2025–2030 period show that employers place the highest value on human-centered competencies such as cognitive flexibility, analytical thinking, creativity, resistance, and motivation.

This trend indicates the need for investment not only in technical knowledge but also in emotional resilience, learning agility, and communication skills. The table below presents the ranking of the most in-demand skills:

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

These skills not only enhance individual employment prospects but also serve as fundamental factors determining organizational transformation capacity.

On the other hand, certain skills are losing relevance due to technological progress and the widespread adoption of automation. In particular, skills specialized in repetitive routine tasks are increasingly being replaced by artificial intelligence systems. The report highlights declining demand in the following areas:

• Manual physical tasks,
• Data copying and entry,
• Routine accounting and recordkeeping,
• Basic customer service protocols.

This trend underscores the necessity for individuals to acquire not only technical but also advanced cognitive and social skills.

The phenomenon termed “skill instability” is considered a key indicator of workforce transformation. The report finds that 44% of employers believe the current skill sets of their workforce will become obsolete within three years. This data makes it imperative to restructure education policies to promote lifelong learning.

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

The findings in this section indicate that future employment policies must be structured around skill development rather than merely recruitment processes.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 evaluates employers’ strategic approaches to workforce management not merely through short-term decisions such as hiring and layoffs, but holistically through long-term structural policies on skill development, diversity, inclusion, and employee well-being.

The report focuses on three key strategic areas essential to human capital-driven transformation between 2025 and 2030: reskilling, inclusion policies, and welfare-oriented practices.

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

Seventy-five percent of employers plan to invest in reskilling and upskilling programs between 2025 and 2030 to meet evolving skill demands.

These strategies are viewed as fundamental tools that enhance not only individual development but also corporate adaptation capacity. Key reskilling strategies highlighted in the report include:

• Internal training (internal instructors and mentorship programs),
• External partnerships (universities, online platforms),
• Guidance toward certified programs (particularly in technology and green transition fields).

Employers state that these strategies are also functional in enhancing workforce motivation, strengthening employee loyalty, and contributing to cultural transformation—not merely in imparting technical skills.

Another significant strategic area highlighted in the report is the growing adoption of policies aimed at enhancing corporate inclusion. Seventy-nine percent of employers indicate they are either currently implementing or planning to implement diversity and equity-focused strategies. Key focus areas include:

• Gender equality,
• Integration of persons with disabilities into the workforce,
• Consideration of ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic diversity,
• Countermeasures against age discrimination.

Diversity and inclusion practices are viewed not only as ethical imperatives but also as structures that enhance organizational innovation and enrich decision-making processes.

Another strategic focus emerging after the pandemic is employee well-being and psychosocial wellness. Employers indicate that in talent attraction and retention strategies, factors such as work models, work-life balance practices, and programs supporting emotional resilience are gaining importance alongside compensation policies. The report highlights the following factors as directly influencing employee engagement and productivity:

• Flexible and remote work options,
• Mental health support systems (psychological counseling, stress management, etc.),
• Workplace ergonomics and safety,
• Family-friendly practices (parental leave, caregiving support, etc.).

These strategies form the foundational pillars of sustainable corporate models that shape the future of workforce design, responding not only to current employee expectations but also to long-term structural needs.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals that human-machine collaboration has become one of the most critical axes shaping the future of labor markets. The report emphasizes that automation should not be viewed merely as a threat or job-displacing tool, but as a complementary factor that enhances human capabilities and efficiency.

According to the report, 75% of employers anticipate significant expansion of automation in their sectors over the next five years. However, this figure indicates a slower pace of automation compared to the 2020 report.

In 2020, it was projected that automation would assume 47% of job tasks by 2025; the 2025 report now estimates this figure will reach 42% by 2030. This decline reflects employers’ increasing shift toward more selective, needs-based, and human-integrated automation investments. The job functions most susceptible to automation include:

• Data processing and analysis,
• Information archiving,
• Task planning and management support functions,
• Customer service automation,
• Inventory tracking and logistics.

The report reveals the growing prevalence of “hybrid models” in which machines and humans share tasks. As of 2023, human-led tasks accounted for 67% of total workload, while machines handled 33%. By 2030, these proportions are projected to shift to 58% and 42%, respectively. This indicates a future in which routine tasks are increasingly automated, while humans assume more central roles in analytical, creative, and interpersonal tasks.

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

The above graph visualizes projected human and machine task-sharing ratios for 2023 and 2030 based on Future of Jobs Report 2025 data. This transformation implies not only increased automation but also a realignment of human skill positioning.

Barriers to the widespread adoption of automation include not only technical challenges but also structural obstacles such as corporate resistance and skill gaps. Approximately one-third of employers identify the following as key challenges in adapting to new technologies:

• Lack of sufficient technological literacy among employees,
• Internal resistance to changing legacy processes,
• Insufficient capital or investment risks,
• Ethical and legal uncertainties (particularly in the context of AI applications).

In this context, human-machine interaction must be addressed as a holistic transformation area requiring not only technological investment but also organizational change management, leadership skills, and innovation policies grounded in ethical principles.

Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals that global labor markets are entering a multi-dimensional and rapidly evolving transformation process between 2025 and 2030. Macro factors such as technological advancements, climate change, geo-political fragmentation, and demographic shifts are fundamentally redefining not only which jobs will be done, but also how, by whom, and with which skills they will be performed.

^{Tabulated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.}

• Net employment growth is limited: While new jobs will be created, certain occupational groups will disappear due to automation and digitalization. Thus, employment growth is taking the form of a qualitative rather than merely quantitative transformation.

• Skill dynamics are decisive: Future occupations require high-level cognitive, social, and technological skills. Analytical thinking, adaptability, empathy, and innovation capacity are the most in-demand competencies.

• Employer strategies are evolving: Organizations are shifting focus from hiring new workers to transforming their existing workforce, prioritizing reskilling and inclusion policies.

• Automation is not displacing humans: Although automation rates are rising, the human-machine collaboration model is emerging as dominant; humans are moving toward creative and strategic roles while machines take over routine tasks.

These findings offer numerous strategic inference for policymakers and education systems to shape the future.

• Educational systems must go beyond delivering basic knowledge and place learning to learn, agility, and systems thinking at the core.
• Vocational education policies must be synchronized with rapidly changing sectoral needs.

• Tax incentives and grants should be provided to support employers’ reskilling investments.
• Micro-credentialing systems that support individual skill acquisition should be widely adopted.

• Accessibility-based employment strategies must be developed for women, youth, older workers, and persons with disabilities.
• Diversity and equity goals must be legally protected, and employer practices must be regularly monitored.

• The labor market impacts of automation investments must be modeled in advance, and social protection mechanisms must be activated.
• Human-centered AI applications must be developed, and technological ethical standards must be established.

• Policy-making must favor differentiated strategies tailored to the needs of different sectors and regions, rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
• Special support mechanisms for developing economies can help reduce inequalities in skill development.

These findings not only summarize current trends but also provide a framework for constructive interventions. Future of Jobs Report 2025 clearly demonstrates the need for coordinated and long-term transformation planning among policymakers, employers, educational institutions, and individuals.