The global labor market is experiencing a rapid transformation under the influence of artificial intelligence, reshaping skill requirements and professional roles, reports in.gr.
According to the World Economic Forum's latest Future of Jobs Report 2025, changes in the skills employers are looking for are occurring at an unprecedented pace. Skills once considered safe are losing ground, while those related to AI and analytical thinking are gaining ground.
Employers still unprepared, employees even more so
Although most companies already use artificial intelligence tools, a small percentage of employees manage to fully utilize them.
A study by Drexel University in the US shows that most use them "casually" or only for basic tasks, leaving the potential for automation, advanced data analysis, and process optimization untapped.
What skills are expected to dominate?
The WEF report includes data from over 1,000 global employers, representing more than 14 million employees across 22 sectors.
The results clearly show:
• Analytical thinking is the most sought-after skill globally, rated as essential by 69% of employers.
• Resilience, flexibility and adaptability are closely followed, at 67%.
• Leadership skills, teamwork and influencing others remain key for 61% of employers.
• Creativity is rated as essential by 57%, not only in creative professions, but also in the innovative use of AI.
Skills that are gaining value include personal motivation, awareness, technological knowledge, empathy, active listening, curiosity, and continuous learning.
Technological skills on the rise
Employers expect demand for competencies related to:
• AI and Big Data to increase by 87% by 2030
• Networking and cyber by 70%
• Basic technology skills by 68%
Meanwhile, traditional manual skills or those based on simple academic knowledge (reading, writing, math) are expected to lose importance, due to their automation and replacement with AI tools.
Humans still irreplaceable
One of the most interesting trends is the shift towards “human” skills, creativity, resilience, self-confidence, the ability to learn quickly and experiment.
These are considered the components that make an employee successful in a technology-dominated environment.
On the other hand, multilingual skills are falling in demand, mainly due to the advancement of machine translation and tools that facilitate cross-cultural communication.
Change doesn't affect everyone the same way.
The report highlights that low- and middle-income economies are expected to face greater labor market shocks. High-income countries, such as Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, face more moderate changes through 2030.
In conclusion, the AI era is demanding more agile, adaptable workers with skills that combine critical thinking, creativity, and technological competence. Transformation is underway, and only those who adapt will remain competitive.
