The global workforce is in the midst of a transformation, and 2026 is the tipping point. As technology accelerates, job roles evolve, and skills demands shift, organisations and their people alike are looking to upskilling in order to stay ahead of the curve.
We’ve curated 25+ need-to-know emerging trends and statistics that are set to define the state of workplace skills over the next few years of transformation:
Skills gaps are holding organisations back
Many organisations aren’t just concerned about future skills, they’re already struggling to find the right ones today. Closing the skills gap will depend on how quickly organisations can build talent from within. rather than rely on finding it elsewhere:
- 63% of employers say skills gaps are the main barrier to their transformation goals (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 49% of learning and development professionals are concerned that employees lack the skills to deliver on business strategy (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
- 70% of HR professionals say upskilling is a top priority for 2025, aiming to address internal capability gaps (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- Employers are responding by focusing on internal development:
- 85% plan to invest in upskilling over the next five years, and
- 77% are specifically upskilling employees to work more effectively with AI
- (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 71% of L&D professionals are now experimenting with AI tools to make training more targeted and efficient (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
Human skills are gaining strategic importance
Despite rapid automation, “soft skills” are becoming more critical, not less. Today’s organisations recognise that the very qualities that define us as people are proving essential in helping us understand, shape, and get the most out of AI tools:
- 91% of L&D professionals say human skills are increasingly important (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
- Human skills on C-suite LinkedIn profiles increased by 31% since 2018, showing rising importance at leadership levels
- (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- Among Gen Z, top areas where they feel unprepared are negotiating (26%), networking (24%), and public speaking (24%) (NSLS)
- Top 10 in-demand skills by 2030 include creative thinking, leadership, resilience, and talent management (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 38% of C-suite executives prioritise agility in entry-level hiring (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
Job roles are evolving – and so are career paths
Traditional career paths are giving way to more dynamic, flexible models. Job titles are changing, career spans are becoming more varied, and project-based work is on the rise. Employees must now prepare for roles that may not even exist yet:
- Professionals entering the workforce today are expected to hold twice as many jobs in their careers compared to workers 15 years ago (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- More than 10% of job titles in use today didn’t exist in 2000—rising to 20% in the U.S. (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- Common job titles that didn’t exist a generation ago include Data Analyst, Frontend Developer, Social Media Manager, and AI Engineer (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- 22% of recruiting professionals have updated job descriptions to include generative AI responsibilities (Coursera Skills Report, 2025)
- High-performing L&D functions are 88% more likely to offer career-enhancing project-based work or “gigs”, supporting more flexible, skills-first career development (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
- 70% of HR leaders say they’re prioritising upskilling to help employees move into new roles internally (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
AI is reshaping how organisations approach upskilling
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a “future skill”. It’s a strategic necessity. From hiring priorities to job design, AI capabilities are influencing every part of the employment lifecycle:
- 66% of leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills and 71% would prefer a less experienced candidate with AI skills over a more experienced one without (Microsoft Work Trends Index)
- 77% of leaders say AI enables early-career talent to take on more responsibility (Microsoft Work Trends Index)
- Artificial Intelligence Engineer is the fastest-growing job in 15 countries (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- 73% of employers are already using GenAI, and 62% expect candidates to be at least somewhat familiar with it (Coursera Skills Report, 2025)
- Courses in Generative AI skills saw 1,100% growth in demand year-over-year (Coursera Skills Report, 2025)
- Top growing skills by 2030 include AI and big data (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 49% of L&D professionals worry employees lack the skills to execute business strategies, prompting 32% more AI training program deployments among high-performing learning teams (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
Continuous learning is no longer optional
The skills needed for success are evolving – and fast. Today’s people are recognising the need to continuously reskill and upskill in order to remain employable in the upcoming years of transformation:
- 39% of workers’ core skills will change by 2030 (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change by 2030 (LinkedIn Work Change Report 2025)
- 91% of L&D professionals say continuous learning is more important than ever (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
- 85% of employers are focusing on upskilling their workforce in the next five years, with 77% specifically targeting AI readiness (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025)
- 68% of employees agree that learning helps them adapt during change—a 19% increase since 2022 (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
- High-performing learning and development (L&D) functions are 88% more likely to offer gig or project-based learning opportunities (LinkedIn Learning Report 2025)
Rethinking your approach to upskilling?
Our science-backed Critical Skills Guide explores the human skills that your people will need in order to think critically, collaborate effectively, and articulate ideas clearly – crucial human competencies in the age of AI.