Time is ticking: Nearly half of skills will vanish – adapt today

The workplace is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Workforce reduction is a real and present challenge for many, employers and employees alike.

It's not all doom and gloom, yet things won't be the same.

Nearly 40 per cent of current job skills will need to be updated or reinvented, as per the just-dropped Future of Jobs Report 2025.

The document, published by the World Economic Forum (WEF), brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers — collectively representing more than 14 million workers across 22 industry clusters and 55 economies from around the world.

This makes continuous learning and adaptability essential as today's industries embrace automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and data-driven strategies.

Yet this demands a blend of tech expertise and human-centric skills.

If you want to stay competitive, here are some facts to know: 

We culled the report to give you an overview of the key trends: 

Human skills: Collaboration and creativity

So while tech skills are important, human capabilities will differentiate outstanding professionals:

Ever used an online map to find your way around? That's the basic AI-driven app. To say that AI will reshape the job market is now an understatement:

Sectors that will thrive

Certain sectors promise significant growth and opportunities:

A few examples

Investing in the skills that will define the future is key.

Imagine a world where telegram operators were still tapping out dots and dashes, or Betamax engineers were tinkering with tape players long past their prime. "Security of tenure" would have guaranteed them jobs for life, no matter how obsolete their industries became.

Sometimes, progress means letting go of the past — yes, even the fax machines.

Mark, 32, has made reinvention his hallmark. Starting as a registered nurse, he switched gears at 24 to explore the skies as a cabin crew member, spending eight adventurous years travelling the world.

But his ambition didn’t stop there — he left flying behind to dive into the rigorous world of dentistry, now in his second year as a student. 

Mark’s journey of reskilling is nothing short of inspiring, but it’s also a reminder: not everyone has his boundless drive or courage to pivot so boldly. 

For most, embracing change and acquiring new skills can feel daunting. Yet, in today’s dynamic world, adapting like Mark — step by step — can open unexpected doors to success and self-discovery.

From welder to chef

And then there’s Rayven, who has earned a national certificate as a welder (arc and flux cored). Recently, he pivoted to work as a chef-trainee at a Korean restaurant. “The more skills I learn, the better my chances of landing a job,” said the 20-year-old. 

Embracing change

Lena, 26, who had always seen music as her language, playing orchestral pieces and sight playing since her teen years. But as the music industry shifted, she found herself drawn to something unexpected: artificial intelligence. 

Intrigued by the parallels between musical symphonies and designing algorithms, Lena began teaching herself to code, trading melodies for machine learning models. 

Her first project — a neural network that generated harmonies — bridged her two worlds. Lena’s leap wasn’t easy. It entailed months of study and persistence. Yet, by embracing change, she turned uncertainty into innovation.

What it means for employers

For employers, tech and the rising culture for a work-from-anywhere workforce also pose a new challenge. The current talent landscape is characterised by individuals transitioning seamlessly between employers to acquire diverse experiences, develop new skills, and embrace flexible working practices.

To remain competitive, organisations must adapt their strategies to align with this talent market, which is increasingly defined by a state of superfluidity.

Here’s the kicker: In order to stay competitive, “upskilling” the workforce is the top agenda of 85 per cent of employers over the next five years, while 73 per cent plan to accelerate automation of their processes and tasks.

Note: Another 70 per cent of employers stated they will continue to hire staff with new skills to meet emerging business trends.

The so-called "skills gap" is also deemed by 63 per cent of employers as the biggest "obstacle" to business being able tofuture-proof their operations.

Imagine this: for every 100 people in the workforce, nearly 60 need a reskilling. But 11 are likely to miss out, as per the report. That’s over 120 million people potentially in the unemployment zone.

This poses a challenge — which entails a tweak in HR mindset. On the flipside, “hybrid” and remote working have created a larger distributed workforce with new ideas of connectivity and value.

“Old thinking is shown as too rigid to navigate new terrain," as per EY's Work Reimagined Survey 2024. "Organisations’ success in the mid- to long-term will rely largely on their ability to excel across five key dimensions: talent health and flow; work technology and generative AI (GenAI); total rewards priorities; learning, skills and career pathways; culture and workplaces.”

The takeaway?

Employers, governments, schools, and those who wish to compete in the job market need to team up for a massive upskilling programme to stay ahead.