AI, big data demand surges as job roles shift

The demand for artificial intelligence, big data, and cybersecurity skills is set to surge as global job roles undergo significant transformation, according to the Future of Jobs Report 2025.

The report examined how technological advancements, geoeconomic shifts, and demographic changes will shape the global labour market between 2025 and 2030.

The report highlights advancements in technologies such as AI and information processing (86 per cent), robotics and automation (58 per cent), and energy generation, storage, and distribution (41 per cent) as key drivers of workforce evolution.

“These trends are expected to have a divergent effect on jobs, driving both the fastest-growing and fastest-declining roles and fuelling demand for technology-related skills, including AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy, which are anticipated to be the top three fastest-growing skills,” the report highlighted.

Economic conditions, particularly the rising cost of living, were identified as another transformative factor. Half of the surveyed employers believe it will impact their businesses by 2030, despite an anticipated decline in global inflation.

The report noted that economic uncertainty is expected to increase the demand for creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, and agility.

Climate change mitigation emerged as the third-most transformative trend, driving demand for roles such as renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers, and electric and autonomous vehicle specialists.

These roles rank among the 15 fastest-growing jobs, as businesses shift their focus toward environmental stewardship.

The report also highlighted demographic shifts, with ageing populations in high-income economies increasing the need for healthcare roles like nursing professionals.

Meanwhile, growing working-age populations in lower-income economies are expected to drive demand for education-related professions, such as higher education teachers.

“Extrapolating from current trends, structural labour market transformations will result in a net growth of 7 per cent of total employment, or 78 million jobs, by 2030,” added the report that further estimates that 170 million new jobs will be created globally, while 92 million roles will be displaced.

Geoeconomic fragmentation and geopolitical tensions are also predicted to shape business operations, with 34 per cent of surveyed organisations expecting these factors to drive business model transformation.

These trends are fuelling demand for network and cybersecurity skills, as well as human-centred skills like leadership, resilience, and social influence.