AI adoption is transforming industries worldwide, with half of the employers planning to leverage it to target new opportunities, 41 per cent planning to reduce their workforce due to automation, and 77 per cent to upskill their workers.
Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters
Farm workers and drivers will figure among the fastest growing jobs over the next five years, while roles of cashiers and ticket clerks will see the largest decline, a new study showed on Wednesday.
In its Future of Jobs Report 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) also said that 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030, while 92 million are projected to be displaced, resulting in 78 million net new jobs.
The report, released days before the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos from January 20-25, said that job disruption will equate to 22 per cent of jobs by 2030.
Technological advancements, demographic shifts, geo-economic tensions, and economic pressures are the key drivers of these changes, reshaping industries and professions worldwide.
Drawing on data from over 1,000 companies, the study found that the skills gap continues to be the most significant barrier to business transformation today.
Nearly 40 per cent of skills required on the job are set to change, and 63 per cent of employers already cite it as the key barrier they face.
Technology skills in AI, big data, and cybersecurity are expected to see rapid growth in demand, but human skills, such as creative thinking, resilience, flexibility, and agility, will remain critical.
Combining both technology and human skill types will be increasingly crucial in a fast-shifting job market.
Frontline roles and essential sectors like care and education are set for the highest job growth by 2030, while advances in AI and renewable energy are reshaping the market — driving an increase in demand for many technology or specialist roles while driving a decline for others, such as graphic designers.
Trends such as generative AI and rapid technological shifts are upending industries and labour markets, creating both unprecedented opportunities and profound risks, said Till Leopold, Head of Work, Wages and Job Creation at the World Economic Forum.
Frontline roles, including farm workers, delivery drivers, and construction workers, are poised to see the largest job growth in absolute terms by 2030.
Significant increases are also projected for care jobs, such as nursing professionals, and education roles, such as secondary school teachers, with demographic trends driving growth in demand across essential sectors.
Meanwhile, advances in AI, robotics, and energy systems – notably in renewable energy and environmental engineering – are expected to increase demand for specialist roles in these fields.
Meanwhile, roles such as cashiers and administrative assistants remain among the fastest declining but are now joined by roles, including graphic designers as generative AI rapidly reshapes the labour market.
AI adoption is transforming industries worldwide, with half of the employers planning to leverage it to target new opportunities, 41 per cent planning to reduce their workforce due to automation, and 77 per cent to upskill their workers.
The list of five fastest-growing jobs would be topped by farm workers, labourers, and other agricultural workers, followed by light truck or delivery services drivers, software and application developers, building farmers, finishers and related trades workers, and shop salespersons.
These would be followed by food processing and related trades workers; car, van, and motorcycle drivers; nursing professionals; food and beverage service workers; general and operations managers; social work and counselling professionals; project managers, university and higher education teachers; secondary education teachers; and personal care aides.
On the other hand, the list of five fastest declining jobs is topped by cashiers and ticket clerks, followed by administrative assistants and executive secretaries; building caretakers, cleaners, and housekeepers; material-recording and stock-keeping clerks; and printing and related trades workers.
These would be followed by accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll clerks; accountants and auditors; transportation attendants and conductors; security guards; bank tellers and related clerks; data entry clerks; client information and customer service workers; graphic designers; business services and administrative managers; and claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators.
The fastest-growing skills by 2030 will include AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, technological literacy, and creative thinking.
These would be followed by resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity and lifelong learning, leadership and social influence, talent management, analytical thinking, and environmental stewardship.
