Average spend on learning and development per employee worldwide 2008-2022

The average per-employee spending on learning and development (L&D) worldwide increased steadily between 2008 and 2019, however fell slightly in 2020. This figure increased again in 2021, reaching almost 1,300 U.S. dollars per worker. There was then a 4.7 percent expenditure decrease in 2022.

Workplace learning and development

Learning and development (L&D), a crucial area of human resource management, is a process aimed at improving an employee’s skills, knowledge, and competency, so to achieve better performances in the workplace. Despite a decrease in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global market size of the workplace training industry increased considerably since 2009. North America alone accounted for almost half of the global market. The growing relevance of workplace training can also be inferred by the increase in the workplace learning hours for employees worldwide.

L&D promotes employee engagement

Employee engagement supports growth through a wide range of benefits, including higher productivity and profitability, and more satisfied customers. Overall, learning & development might help supporting employee engagement. Investing in learning shows employees that they are valued, which generally increases their motivation in the workplace. Employees’ support for L&D is suggested by the considerable share of young workers perceiving it as a useful method to find opportunities within the organization. Moreover, for an effective L&D implementation it is useful to consult employees about their expectations: according to a 2019 survey, half of employees worldwide felt the urge to improve their influencing and negotiating skills. Furthermore, the most popular learning method among employees worldwide was learning in a classroom with a group of colleagues.