New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth

The report highlights a widening global digital skills gap, noting that while demand for AI and big data skills is surging—reflected in a 27% wage increase for AI/ML roles since 2019—education systems are failing to keep pace. It argues that AI is transforming the application of 68% of digital skills, necessitating a shift toward a 'skills-first' approach. The document provides a global framework for assessing skills through real-world application and credentialing via portable, metadata-rich badges, supported by case studies from Check Point, Censia, SkillsFuture Singapore, and EY.

• Generative AI (genAI) has the potential to increase global GDP by 7%, or nearly $7 trillion, over a 10-year period, provided the workforce possesses the necessary AI, data, and digital skills.
• AI is significantly altering how digital skills are applied; 68% of digital skills are expected to undergo hybrid or full transformation, whereas only 35% of human-centric skills face similar changes.
• Market value for AI and machine learning (ML) expertise has risen sharply, with median wages for these roles increasing by 27% from $150,000 in 2019 to $189,800 by mid-2025.
• There is a significant disconnect between education systems and industry needs: only 20% of business leaders believe education systems effectively develop AI and data skills.
• Digital skill demand is highly concentrated in technology-intensive sectors; for example, technological literacy appears in 84% of IT and digital communications job postings in the US, but only 16% in accommodation, food, and leisure.
• The time required to achieve proficiency varies by skill: AI and big data have accessible entry points (as low as 30 hours for beginners), while advanced networks and cybersecurity are the most time-intensive, requiring approximately 155 hours.
• Regional disparities exist in skill strengths: Northern America leads in AI and analytics, while Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean show higher strengths in human-centric skills like collaboration and management.
• The report proposes a global framework for digital skills based on three pillars: assessment (using performance-based tasks), development (creating 'digital sandboxes'), and credentialing (using portable, metadata-rich badges).

APA

World Economic Forum (2025). New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Economy_Skills_2025.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth. 2025. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Economy_Skills_2025.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth |date=December 2025 |url=https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Economy_Skills_2025.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2025new, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2025}, month = dec, url = {https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_New_Economy_Skills_2025.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }