Bank tellers, cashiers, postal workers, and the jobs of administrative assistants are among those forecast to decline by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, which was released ahead of the group’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, later this month.
In all, the World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates “new job creation and job displacement” will amount to 22% of today’s total jobs, and specifically, 170 million jobs will be created, equivalent to 14% of current employment. This growth is expected to be offset by the loss of 92 million jobs, resulting in a net growth of 78 million jobs by 2030.
The report is based on data from more than 1,000 leading global employers, representing more than 14 million workers across more than 20 industries in 55 global economies. The data looked at how macrotrends impact jobs and skills, and what strategies employers plan to implement to meet the emerging jobs landscape in 2030.
Technological advancements, demographic shifts, geo-economic tensions, economic uncertainty, and the green transition are key drivers of these changes, and are expected to reshape industries and professions worldwide, according to the report.
Here’s a summary of some of the key findings:
Jobs in decline
Clerical and secretarial workers, including cashiers, ticket clerks, administrative assistants, and executive secretaries are expected to see the largest decline in absolute numbers. The fastest-declining roles are also expected to include postal service clerks, bank tellers, and data entry workers.
Jobs predicted to grow
Frontline job roles are predicted to see the largest growth in terms of absolute volume, including: farmworkers, delivery drivers, construction workers, salespeople, and food-processing workers. Care economy jobs, such as nurses, social workers, counselors, and personal care aides are also expected to grow significantly over the next five years, alongside teachers.
Tech roles in the age of AI
Technology-related roles are the fastest-growing jobs in terms of percentage, and include: big data specialists, fintech engineers, AI and machine learning specialists, and software and application developers. Green and energy transition roles, including autonomous and electric vehicle specialists, environmental engineers, and renewable energy engineers, also feature within the top fastest-growing roles.
Most in-demand skills for employers
The report also found that the top in-demand skills and areas of growth are in technology within AI, big data, and cybersecurity, and 41% of employers intend to downsize as AI automates existing tasks.
But human skills like critical and creative thinking, including resilience, flexibility, and agility remain highly sought after. In fact, analytical thinking is the most sought-after core skill among employers, with 7 out of 10 companies calling it essential.
On average, workers can expect 39% of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated in the next 5 years. However, “skill instability” has slowed from 44% in 2023, as determined in the WEF’s last Future of Jobs report. This is likely due to the fact that workers are” upskilling,” or getting additional training.
