Briefing | Skills gaps here to stay: Future of Jobs Report 2025

Overall, the findings indicate that talent shortages are expected to persist both globally and locally, posing the biggest barrier to organisational transformation. Recognising the challenges in attracting talent, organisations plan to invest more in employee reskilling and upskilling while increasing diversity initiatives to access a broader pool of candidates.

The survey highlights the changing nature of core skills for the future, with a visible transition toward technology and AI skills by 2030, moving away from analytical thinking and resilience. This change is likely driven by digital transformation and concerns about skills gaps hindering .

Digitalization, climate mitigation and the rising cost of living are the key factors expected to impact labour market transformation in Europe over the 2025- 2030 period. The report also provides insights about Ireland, letting us compare trends around jobs and skills, many of which reflect the global trends.

Business drivers

An increased effort to adapt to climate change was reported as the top driver of business transformation in Ireland at 57%, compared to 41% globally, with Ireland ranking sixth overall.  Similarly, an increased focus on labour and social issues was higher in Ireland at 57%, compared to 46% globally.

In relation to broadening digital access, this was the top global driver of change at 60% but was third among Irish respondents at 48%. Another area of difference was the rising cost of living, which was cited by 50% of global respondents but only 29% in Ireland. This difference reflects Ireland’s continued economic growth.

Ireland aligns with global trends showing technology’s role in business transformation, with AI and information processing technologies identified as the top drivers (86%).

Over 90% of organisations in Ireland plan to implement AI programmes, and 86% reported planning higher levels of investment in reskilling and upskilling their existing workforce to better work alongside AI (compared to 77% globally). Additionally, over two thirds of organisations in both Ireland and globally, aim to hire new talent with skills to design AI tools and enhancements. A greater proportion of Irish organisations plan to re-orient their structures to target new business opportunities created by AI (71% in Ireland versus 49% globally).

Jobs and skills 

Skills gaps in the labour market were seen as the biggest barrier to organisation transformation by nearly two-thirds of respondents globally, and to an even greater extent in Ireland, 76%. Two in five (43%) see the availability of talent worsening here in the next five years when hiring, but 62% expect an improvement in access to talent based the development of their existing workforce.

The prediction for core skills increasing in demand is changing dramatically. By 2030, technology skills are top, covering AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy. Those identified for 2025 are analytical thinking, followed by resilience, flexibility and agility. This change in core skills is no doubt linked to the depth of AI and digital transformation and the size of the expected skills gaps in the labour market.

Globally, employers want governments to develop the talent pipeline to improve talent availability. In Ireland, improving the public education systems was the most common method (60% versus 47% globally). When it comes to the business response for talent attraction, employee health and wellbeing was top of mind, along with reskilling and improving talent progression or promotion.  

The report showed that the top ten fastest growing skills by 2030 were found to be:

1. AI and big data
2. Networks and cybersecurity
3. Technological literacy
4. Creative thinking
5. Resilience, flexibility and agility
6. Curiosity and lifelong learning
7. Leadership and social influence
8. Talent management
9. Analytical thinking
10. Environmental stewardship

These skills were further categorized into key areas, revealing that 20% fall under cognitive skills, 20% under self-efficacy, 20% under working with others, 30% under management skills, and 10% under ethics.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The survey found that equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are on the rise. Four times as many employers (47%) now prioritise tapping into diverse talent pools to expand talent availability compared to two years ago (10%). Inclusion efforts have also grown, with 83% of employers (87% in Ireland) reporting EDI initiatives, up from 67% in 2023.

Sixty percent of organisations in Ireland were planning to run comprehensive EDI training for managers and staff. Just under three quarters (73%) were planning pay equity reviews and salary audits, much higher than the global pattern, at 39%. This is likely to reflect the regulations driving a higher level of focus on gender pay gap reporting and pay transparency.

On a global basis, by 2030 just over half of employers (52%) anticipate allocating a greater share of their revenue to wages, with only 7% expecting this share to decline. Wage strategies are driven primarily by goals of aligning wages with workers’ productivity and performance and competing for retaining talent and skills.

Overall, the report reveals that Ireland is at the forefront of adapting to global labour market challenges, with climate change adaptation and technological transformation identified as key drivers of business change. Irish organisations are addressing persistent skills gaps through increased reskilling efforts, AI adoption, and a focus on EDI. The report emphasises the evolving demand for technology-focused skills, alongside leadership and creative thinking. Organisations should focus on fostering inclusivity and aligning workforce capabilities with emerging demands to remain competitive in a rapidly changing landscape.

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 from the World Economic Forum 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. As part of a European initiative, CIPD in Ireland promoted the survey in Autumn 2024 to maximise the country’s representation.