According to the WEF, by 2030, many tech jobs will be well-paid and location-independent. But not many will be able to survive the relentless digital transformation.
Roles in the fields of AI, analytics, data, sustainability and education are likely to grow the most in the coming years, according to data from the World Economic Forum (WEF), which conducted an in-depth study last May on the longest-lasting and least-lasting jobs.
As you know, AI skills are crucial: The WEF predicts that AI and machine learning jobs in particular will grow 40% by 2027, creating nearly 1 million new jobs.
In addition to AI and machine learning skills, the WEF says there will be a surge in demand over the next five years for sustainability specialists, business intelligence analysts, information security analysts, fintech engineers, data scientists, robotics engineers and agricultural machinery operators.
Digitalization will reduce some roles
Occupations likely to decline in the future include data entry clerks, secretaries, bookkeepers and payroll clerks, as other research has found that such administrative-heavy roles are likely to become obsolete over time due to automation and generative AI.
The digital “revolution” is only set to accelerate, according to new data released this month by the WEF, whose “The Rise of Global Digital Jobs” report highlights some of the most lucrative jobs in the global digital market.
First, the data shows that digital jobs are growing, which may be expected: by 2030, the WEF projects that there will be 90 million digital jobs, of which 54 million will be high-wage. In contrast, today there are a total of 73 million digital jobs, of which 39 million are high-wage (the WEF defines a high-wage job as one that pays more than $75,000 a year).
The report also suggests that digitization tends to create higher-paying jobs, helping people in areas with fewer economic opportunities prosper — a side effect of the pandemic's shift to remote work, which has given rise to the concept of location-independent work for technologists, the report said.
Will this continue in the future? It depends on how well employers can take advantage of emerging technologies such as the metaverse and generative AI. The metaverse can be extremely useful for upskilling the workforce, with many universities in Ireland using it to train learners remotely.
The WEF lists several high-paying digital jobs that it predicts will be location-independent by 2030. The list includes software development, information security analysis, network and computer systems administration, consultancy, telecommunications management, and postsecondary computer science education. Many of these jobs are already location-independent, so it looks like the WEF prediction is slowly becoming a reality.
Risks and Cautions
But as many have warned, for technology to maintain and even improve its status as a lucrative industry, leaders need to work together to devise policies to prepare workers for an increasingly digital world. For example, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has warned governments that without adequate education and training measures, the benefits that AI could potentially offer workers may not be realized.
The WEF itself is aware of the risks posed by digital transformation: A day after publishing its report on the future of digital jobs, the organization released a report looking at global risks including factors such as technological acceleration and the climate crisis.
All this data shows that while the future of work will indeed be digitally driven, bringing with it opportunities like higher salaries and remote working, any positive outcome will also depend heavily on how well policymakers and employers keep up with the rapid pace of technological evolution.
As many have pointed out, employers need to provide the right support as they educate themselves about AI.
Mark Cockerill of ServiceNow, in a recent piece for SiliconRepublic.com, mentioned the 2023 WEF report in terms of digital skills: “The WEF predicts a period of unprecedented disruption in the job market, with 25% of companies predicting job losses and 50% predicting job gains.
“Workers across Ireland and the EMEA region are expecting their employers to provide them with opportunities to gain the skills they need to thrive in the future, with a focus on both digital and creative skills,” he said.
Every day we'll send you an email with 10 things you need to know. Daily BriefSilicon Republic's digest of important science and technology news.
