2024 Workforce Skills Forecast
27 years later, we're still playing chess—and using AI to improve our skills. New data shows that just as AI enhances people's chess games, it will improve the way we work and create opportunities for people with the right skills.
In partnership with our research partner Pearson, we used AI-driven algorithms to predict how generative AI (GenAI) and related technologies will transform how people work.
Across most countries we researched, the data shows that even with the automation of some tasks and AI-driven capacity gain (hours saved) in others, the workforce will still need to expand if we are to sustain projected economic growth.
When we dig deeper into how AI will affect IT roles, the data shows that we will need additional tech workers. In the U.S., the impact of automation and augmentation on overall job numbers (-0.43M) is minimal in comparison to expected growth in tech jobs (+2.19M). Many of these jobs will exist to implement and support emerging technologies, so IT workers will need AI skills to tackle these roles.
Reskill is now
To achieve this optimistic vision—and to support healthy economic growth—businesses and governments must create training opportunities to proactively prepare the workforce. This can only be done by understanding which skills are on the wane and which are on the rise in the IT industry and beyond.
Initiatives like RiseUp with ServiceNow and solutions such as ServiceNow’s Talent Development are needed to support evolving talent and skilling needs. By identifying and supporting people whose jobs are at a higher risk of being disrupted by automation and augmentation, organizations can close today’s persistent skills gaps and support a new generation of highly trained, high-value employees.
methodology
in a nutshell
- Which tasks could be completed entirely by AI
- Which tasks could be assisted by AI
- Which roles and skills would grow in demand
- How leaders can reskill their workforce to future-proof their business
more jobs
Over five years, the workforce will grow even after considering AI’s impact.
The IMF estimates that the U.S. economy will grow at an annual rate of 2.1% over the next five years. Without taking the productivity-boosting effects of AI into account, the U.S. economy would need to add 11.22 million people to the workforce over five years to support this growth rate. Our research predicts that AI will be able to do the work equivalent to 12.26 million full-time employees. To realize this potential, however, an additional 2.04 million tech jobs will be needed to implement and maintain emerging technologies.
Headcount needed to achieve expected economic growth
additional jobs required to implement and maintain emerging technologies
Hours freed up by using technology to work fore efficiently
Hours freed up when technology alone completes a task
new skills
To get insight into which non-tech roles would be ideal matches for in-demand tech jobs, we mapped the skill set of existing positions we know will be affected by automation to the skill set necessary to perform growing job personas in the ServiceNow ecosphere. For example, we know that the demand for business process analysts is growing—and that account management specialists have many of the same skills.
AI game
Additional jobs required to implement and maintain emerging technologies
Additional headcount needed to achieve expected economic growth
some will slow
free up time
Employees and business leaders can use this information to evaluate which roles within their workforce will have more time freed up to spend on more high-value, creative tasks—or to upskill so that they can move into a new, more future-proof position.
knocks
The data shows that a new wave of AI-savvy employees will be needed to support continued digital transformation and economic growth. This means that for those willing to acquire these new tech-related skills, opportunity will abound.
Initiatives such as RiseUp with ServiceNow can help people interested in changing careers get the skills they need to thrive in the new world of work. Couple that with products such as ServiceNow’s Talent Development which identifies transferable skills so that business leaders can create new professional pathways within an existing workforce, and you have clear path forward to creating the IT workforce of the future.
2024 Workforce Skills Forecast
