Workers across the world are facing mounting pressure to acquire new skills as artificial intelligence and digital technologies rapidly reshape job markets.
IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, stated this in a blog post, which draws on new IMF analysis of millions of online job vacancies across advanced and emerging economies.
The Fund disclosed that one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill, underscoring how employability is increasingly tied to continuous learning and reskilling.
The IMF’s findings are based on an analysis of millions of online job vacancies, revealing that technological change is no longer confined to factory floors or back offices.
What the IMF is saying
According to the IMF, professional, technical, and managerial roles account for the bulk of demand for new skills, with information technology alone responsible for more than half of this requirement.
“For workers, finding or keeping a job will increasingly depend on the ability to update skills or learn new ones.
“Our latest analysis of millions of online vacancies reveals the scale of the demand for new skills: one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill,” Georgieva said.
- Sector-specific skills are also growing, with healthcare seeing increased demand for telecare and digital health capabilities, while marketing roles increasingly require social media expertise.
- The IMF also found that employers are willing to pay more for workers with emerging skills.
- In the United Kingdom and the United States, job postings requiring at least one new skill offer wages about 3% higher, while roles demanding four or more new skills can pay up to 15% more in the UK and 8.5% more in the US.
Mixed impact on jobs and workers
While higher wages for skilled workers can stimulate local economies, the employment effects are uneven.
The IMF’s research shows that high-skill and low-skill workers benefit the most, while middle-skill roles, such as routine office jobs, are increasingly under pressure.
- The impact of AI-specific skills is even more complex. Although AI-related roles command wage premiums, they have not yet translated into job growth.
- In regions with high demand for AI skills, employment in AI-vulnerable occupations was 3.6% lower after five years compared to regions with lower demand.
- The IMF MD said this trend poses particular challenges for young people, as entry-level jobs tend to be more exposed to automation.
Why this matters
The IMF warns that without proactive policies, AI could widen inequality and deepen labour market anxieties. As job disruption accelerates, workers’ ability to reskill and upskill will increasingly determine their employment prospects.
“With nearly 40% of global jobs exposed to AI-driven change, concerns about job displacement and declining opportunities for some groups are becoming more acute.
“This underscores the need for proactive and comprehensive policymaking that prepares the labor force for the future of work and ensures the gains from AI are broadly shared,” the IMF stated.
To guide policymakers, Georgieva said the IMF has developed a Skill Imbalance Index, which compares future demand for new skills with existing supply.
- According to her, countries like Brazil, Mexico, and Sweden, where demand outstrips supply, need to invest more in training and STEM education, and may rely on skilled migration.
- Others, including Australia, Ireland, and Poland, have abundant talent but weaker demand, requiring policies that stimulate innovation and firm creation.
- She said emerging and low-income economies, where both demand and supply of new skills are limited, will need a combination of education, innovation, and labour market reforms.
What you should know
The IMF had earlier warned that nearly 40% of jobs globally will be influenced by AI, with advanced economies expected to experience a higher impact compared to emerging markets and low-income nations.
It added that more productivity from high-income workers and companies would boost capital returns, widening the wealth gap, while urging governments to provide “comprehensive social safety nets” and retraining programs for vulnerable workers.
