Reshaping the Global Labor Market
By 2030, digital access, artificial intelligence, and automation are expected to reshape 60 percent of businesses worldwide, according to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report titled "Future of Jobs." The organization projects that this global transformation of the labor market will create 170 million new jobs while displacing approximately 92 million within four years.
Demand is projected to grow for technology-related professions in artificial intelligence, big data, and cybersecurity. These roles are expected to rank among the most sought-after positions as industries adapt to technological shifts.
Shifting Momentum Toward Developing Economies
Olga Ergunova, an associate professor at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics and an expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences, stated that the momentum for digital job growth is beginning to shift toward developing economies. In an interview with TV BRICS, she cited World Bank data indicating that AI-related vacancies are growing faster in middle-income countries than in high-income economies.
Between 2021 and 2024, the number of vacancies requiring generative AI skills increased approximately ninefold. Around one in five of these vacancies is located in middle-income countries. Analysts forecast that demand for new professions will continue to grow specifically in countries of the Global South.
Ergunova emphasized that the workforce needs are shifting away from pure AI development toward specialists who know how to apply artificial intelligence effectively. She noted that almost 40 percent of professional skills used today will need to change, and 59 out of every 100 workers will require retraining and upskilling.
Education Reform and Institutional Challenges
The rapid pace of change presents significant challenges for educational systems. Timofey Voronin, deputy director of the Research Centre for Strategic Analysis of Technological Development at Lomonosov Moscow State University, noted that traditional state institutions are unprepared for new professions.
Voronin observed that countries of the global majority often demonstrate "leapfrogging" stages in technological adoption. However, he reported that updating state education standards in developing economies takes an average of six to nine years, creating a lag between market demand and institutional response.
The Future of Work for Today's Students
The long-term implications of these shifts extend to the current generation of students. The World Economic Forum stated that 65 percent of today's schoolchildren will work in occupations that do not yet exist, a claim discussed at UN commission meetings.
This projection underscores the uncertainty facing future labor markets. As digital access and automation continue to reshape industries, the ability to adapt to undefined professional landscapes becomes a critical factor for economic participation in the Global South.