The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 asked employers which skills will matter most by the end of the decade. Their answer: employers expect 39% of workers’ core skills to change by 2030.
The rise of leadership
Analytical thinking remains the top core skill, cited by about seven in ten employers. It is followed by resilience, flexibility and agility; leadership and social influence; creative thinking; and motivation and self-awareness. The biggest shift since 2023 was in leadership and social influence, up 22 percentage points in the share of employers that consider it core. Resilience and AI and big data each rose 17 points.
Technology and people skills together
AI and big data is the fastest-growing skill, followed by networks and cybersecurity and technological literacy. But the report is clear that the human skills are rising alongside them. As technology takes on more routine work, the ability to set direction, influence others and adapt becomes more valuable, not less.
What it means for your career
Leadership is increasingly treated as a skill that can be built and demonstrated, not only a title. Visible leadership — speaking, writing, mentoring and representing your field — is one of the clearest ways to show it.
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