Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces

The report examines how artificial intelligence, robotics, energy technology, and networks/sensing technologies are transforming major global workforces, including agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare. It highlights that while these technologies can boost productivity and create higher-value roles, they also pose risks of job displacement and digital exclusion, particularly in lower-income economies.

• Four specific technologies are identified as having the greatest potential to transform the global workforce: artificial intelligence (including genAI and agentic AI), robotics and autonomous systems (physical AI), energy technology (generation, storage, and distribution), and networks and sensing technologies.
• The agriculture workforce is the largest globally, representing 25% of total employment, with a heavy concentration in low-income (57%) and lower-middle-income (39%) economies. Technology such as drones for harvesting in South America and precision agriculture is increasing productivity but requires better global diffusion to benefit smallholder farmers.
• In manufacturing, which accounts for 14% of global employment, the integration of physical AI and robotics can either replace low-value tasks with higher-value activities or lead to a total reduction in employment depending on adoption methods and investment capacity.
• The construction workforce (approximately 8% of global workers) is seeing a shift toward digital planning via building information modelling and the use of robotics for complex projects, such as the 2023 completion of the Kawakami dam in Japan using remote-controlled cranes and boxing machines.
• Wholesale and retail trade (13% of the global workforce) and transport and logistics (7%) are being transformed by AI-driven B2B apps and digital platforms. In Africa, India, and Latin America, AI is shifting workers from tills to picking and packing, while in the UAE, drone delivery is moving demand from road vehicle operators to back-end control.
• The business and management workforce (7% of global workers) faces an uncertain future due to agentic AI's ability to automate tasks like invoice processing and staff onboarding, which may lead to either productivity gains or significant workforce reductions based on organizational strategic goals.
• The healthcare workforce (3% of global workers) is unlikely to see job losses from automation due to severe staffing shortages and ageing populations. Agentic AI is already reducing administrative processing times by 70-90%.

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Jobs_of_Tomorrow_Technology_and_the_Future_of_the_Worlds_Largest_Workforces_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Jobs_of_Tomorrow_Technology_and_the_Future_of_the_Worlds_Largest_Workforces_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces |date=October 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Jobs_of_Tomorrow_Technology_and_the_Future_of_the_Worlds_Largest_Workforces_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025jobs, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Jobs_of_Tomorrow_Technology_and_the_Future_of_the_Worlds_Largest_Workforces_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }