In recent years, discussion of artificial intelligence has been tinged with apprehension about machine-led redundancies. Yet the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 presents a markedly more optimistic picture: by 2030, shifting global trends in technology, demographics, the economy and the green transition are projected to generate 170 million new jobs while displacing 92 million – a net gain of 78 million positions worldwide.
Much of this expansion will occur in both high-tech and essential front-line roles. Some of the fastest-growing jobs are in technology, data and AI, but significant growth is also expected among delivery drivers, care workers, educators and farmworkers. This blend underscores how AI can both automate routine tasks and catalyse demand for human-centred services.
Crucially, the report highlights a profound complementarity between people and machines: nearly 40 per cent of skills required on the job are set to change by 2030, and 63 per cent of employers cite the skills gap as their greatest barrier to transformation. While demand for technology-focused abilities (AI, big data, cybersecurity) will surge, human attributes – creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and collaboration – will remain indispensable.
By 2030, AI-driven innovations will generate 170 million new jobs while displacing 92 million – a net gain of 78 million positions worldwide.
Employers themselves are preparing to harness this opportunity. Seventy-seven per cent plan to upskill their existing workforce, and almost half intend to redeploy staff from roles exposed to AI disruption into new areas of their business; nevertheless, 41 per cent anticipate reducing headcount as automation takes hold. Such strategies could both mitigate job losses and ensure workers benefit from emerging roles.
Beyond pure technology trends, other macro-drivers will reshape labour markets. Price pressures and slower economic growth are expected to displace around 6 million jobs by 2030, even as inflation eases. Ageing populations in higher-income countries will fuel demand for healthcare professionals, while expanding workforces in lower-income regions will bolster education roles. Geoeconomic tensions will also spur demand for cybersecurity and supply-chain specialists.
Taken together, these findings suggest that AI is poised not to cannibalise employment but to reforge it – creating a richer, more varied labour market. Realising this potential will require concerted action: agile policy, robust reskilling programmes and investment in both technical and human-centric skills. With the right frameworks in place, AI can become a prodigious engine of job creation rather than a cause for widespread unemployment.
