Which Jobs Have a Future?

Developments in AI as well as the need for a greener future are disrupting jobs across an array of sectors, with many positions dwindling, as other areas grow. The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 considers this issue, using predictions based on survey respondents and labor-market statistics from the ILO to show which jobs are likely to increase the most in the next five years, not only in terms of the actual number of people employed, but also with the relative increase in jobs that exist in certain fields between 2023 and 2027.

According to these predictions, for those looking for job security in the near future, training to become an AI and Machine Learning specialist would be a good option. The WEF report states that this job is predicted to grow by 40 percent by 2027, amounting to some one million new jobs. As this chart shows, analytical skills in general will be useful, whether that’s as a business intelligence analyst, information security analyst or as a data analyst. Roles in sustainability will also be important, with the occupation of Sustainability Specialist featuring in rank 2.

As far as absolute growth goes though, agricultural equipment operators, heavy truck and bus drivers, and vocational education teachers are expected to see the greatest increases in the next five years. Data entry clerks, administrative and executive secretaries, as well as accounting, bookkeeping and payroll clerks, on the other hand, are thought to experience the greatest number of losses in employment. According to WEF analysts in the 2023 Future of Jobs report, these latter three roles are predicted to make up over half of the total expected job destruction in that time frame.