A couple of weeks ago, The World Economic Forum dropped its predictions for the future of jobs and the seismic shift in the workforce over the next five years (2030).
Here’s a link: The Future of Jobs Report 2025
Let me tell you, this thing is really well put together.
As a connoisseur of well-formatted PDFs, this one goes hard.
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It has tons of relatable info and is super easy to follow, even though it’s like 10 million pages long (OK, I’m being dramatic; it’s only 290 pages).
That said, the future of jobs might look much different than what the gurus say.
The sky isn’t falling, or is it? 🤔
In this article, I’m breaking down:
- The key takeaways from the report and what caught my attention.
- The key opportunity I think everyone’s sleeping on.
- Most importantly, how you can make the most of this opportunity with a step-by-step action plan.
So buckle up, my friend. This is going to be a good one.
If you stick around to the end, I’ll share the best game plan for prosperity over the next five years. 🤓
Quick intro
If you’re new to my work, my name is Lester, but feel free to call me Les 👋
I’m a founder with a successful exit under my belt. These days, I’m the exec chair for a group of ecom brands, but at my core, I’m an award-winning performance marketer.
Needless to say, data and insights are my jam. We operate more like a data company than an ecom brand. Our secret sauce is pairing data and insights with ideas that generate revenue.
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If you’re into data-driven business and marketing insights and strategies, check out my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what’s working in the world of business, along with marketing insights and trends I’m seeing.
But that’s enough about me. I need to tell you all the juicy details about this report. I read all 10 million pages, so you don’t have to. 😏
Key takeaways I got from the report
As I mentioned earlier, this report is very thorough and 290 pages deep, but I wanted to focus on the areas that are the most helpful for revenue and understanding the possible landscape. 😎
1. Job creation and decline
So, the hot topic is whether AI will take our jobs. The answer is maybe, but you’ll probably have a new one. According to the WEF, a net 78 million jobs will be added by 2030. This includes 170 million new jobs created (14% growth) and 92 million jobs lost (8% decline)
The fastest growing jobs are AI-related (shocker), Fintech, and Engineers. Renewable energy engineers are also on the rise. However, a surprising and potentially massive opportunity lies in the care economy. More on that later.
2. New skills who this?
By 2030, about 39% of skills will be outdated or completely transformed. Honestly, it’s not shocking; it’s kind of expected. The fastest-growing skills are AI, big data, networks, and cybersecurity. What caught my attention was that the report mentioned soft skills like resilience, creativity, and flexibility, but I found it even more interesting that lifelong learning made the list. The report also noted that 70% of employers consider analytical skills the most essential.
3. Upskilling and reskilling
The report says that by 2030, 59% of the global workforce will need training. Of this, 29% will be upskilled in their current role, 19% will transition to a new role with additional training, and 11% will risk unemployment without it. The report also highlights that 85% of employers plan to prioritize upskilling, while 70% aim to hire talent with new skills.
4. Talent and workforce strategy
64% of employers will prioritize health and well-being to get new talent. I won’t lie; I’ll believe that one when I see it. The report mentions that diversity, equality, and inclusion initiatives have increased to 83% adoption globally. However, President Trump is rolling back some of these programs, raising questions about whether other countries and corporations will follow suit. It’s unclear how this will unfold. Nonetheless, wage alignment with a focus on productivity and talent retention will be key, with 52% of employers planning to allocate more revenue to wages by 2030. Again, I’ll believe it when I see it, but I’m hopeful.
5. AI’s impact on workforce
Alas, the juicy bit… Half of the employers plan to reorient business strategies in response to the rise of AI. In fact, 2 in 3 plan to hire for AI-specific skills (this is where the new jobs will come from). 40% of those same businesses also think their workforce will shrink due to AI automating tasks. On the surface, this might seem like doom and gloom, but remember, we are talking about 78 million new jobs by 2030. It is safe to assume some of that workforce will find employment in companies that don’t exist yet.
Another insight that stood out to me but deserves its own article is that an aging population will drive the demand for more healthcare jobs.
This could be a huge opportunity. Let me know in the comments if you want me to discuss the possibilities.
Your big opportunity
It is no secret that AI is supposed to be the next big thing. I believe this topic goes a lot deeper and I talk more about that here.
That said, while AI is here and we need to use these tools, we should not focus on hacks like knowing the best prompt or whatever gimmick the gurus are peddling today. 🤧
Let me explain.
A lot of this report stood out to me, but the one thing that will go unnoticed is the soft skills of resilience, creativity, and flexibility.
I agree 1000%, but do you know what was not mentioned?
Communication! 📌
This is probably the most critical skill you can learn as we move into the future.
Here’s why: Communication is obviously how we interact with different tools like OpenAI and others.
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But here is what is not talked about as much: If everyone has access to AI, the market will become more crowded. Businesses are infinitely easier to launch now and everyone is an “expert.”
How you communicate with your audience to get them to interact with your business will become a premium skill.
I promise I am not ranting here, but effective communication is not a skill, it’s theeeeee skill. 🎯
As for your big opportunity, I feel like everyone is so focused on the shiny objects, like what are the best prompts or the best tool? Those are fine, but not enough focus is placed on the soft skills.
It’s as if we’re forgetting that even though we use AI to create, our creations are still intended for humans.
If I had to say it another way, it is almost like some businesses are using AI and becoming sloppy. Not caring about the customer, and so on.
It blows my mind how someone could use any AI tool, understand the frustrations and the obvious limitations, and then decide, “You know what? Imma use an AI chatbot, so I don’t have to talk to customers”… bruh, seriously? 🤨
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Imma get off my soapbox, but I hope you see my point.
Soft skills!
To get the most out of AI, you do not need to know the latest hacks or have access to some secret button or magic prompt.
I believe the soft skills are where the money will be made, where you separate the wheat from the chaff. 💪
That said, here are a few skills I believe will put you in the best position to maximize the opportunities ahead:
- Clear communication: This is a twofer. Communication with the AI and your customers.
- Imagination and creativity: This also doubles with the AI and your business.
- Pattern recognition: Your brain was GPT-ing before GPT. Do not lose that.
- Critical thinking: AI is a tool. Decision-making is your job.
- Patience: The AI will AI no matter how good it gets, so you must be patient and refine your prompts to get the output you want.
I am not saying you shouldn’t learn best practices, etc., but don’t lose focus on the soft skills that separate the elite from the average. If this were a sport, these soft skills would be the fundamentals. 🤗
My two cents
I know I came at you with a lot today, so I’ll leave you with this: I am a savage in these AI streets (not bragging) with an elite workflow that has doubled my productivity and keeps my ADD in check. I operate at this level because I know what I’m looking for when I use AI.
Just because I have access to OpenAI does not mean I stop learning or working on my craft.
AI can take you from good to great, but it cannot take you from bad to great. I hope that makes sense.
If you work on your soft skills, perfect your craft, and embrace AI, you make yourself impossible to replace.
😇 Hope this helps; I’m rooting for you.
By the way, do you want more data-driven business insights that drive growth? Sign up for my free newsletter, No Fluff Just Facts. I share what’s working, the latest trends, and the occasional pep talk to keep you inspired. If this sounds like your jam and you wanna be besties forever, click here to sign up – it’s totally FREE!
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