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Workers across the world are facing mounting pressure to acquire new skills as artificial intelligence and digital technologies rapidly reshape job markets, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, disclosed this in a blog post drawing on new IMF analysis of millions of online job vacancies across advanced and emerging economies.
The Fund revealed that one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill, highlighting how employability is increasingly tied to continuous learning and reskilling.
The IMF’s findings show that technological change is no longer confined to factory floors or back offices, but is now reshaping professional and knowledge-based roles across sectors.
What the IMF is saying
According to the IMF, professional, technical, and managerial roles account for the bulk of demand for new skills, with information technology alone responsible for more than half of this requirement.
“For workers, finding or keeping a job will increasingly depend on the ability to update skills or learn new ones,” Georgieva said.
“Our latest analysis of millions of online vacancies reveals the scale of the demand for new skills: one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill.”
Sector-specific skills are also becoming more important. Healthcare roles increasingly demand telecare and digital health capabilities, while marketing positions now require strong social media and digital communication skills.
The IMF also found that employers are willing to pay higher wages for workers with emerging skills. In the United Kingdom and the United States, job postings requiring at least one new skill offer wages about 3% higher. Roles demanding four or more new skills can pay up to 15% more in the UK and 8.5% more in the US.
Mixed impact on jobs and workers
While higher wages for skilled workers can support economic growth, the employment impact of AI remains uneven.
The IMF’s research shows that high-skill and low-skill workers benefit the most from technological change, while middle-skill roles, such as routine office jobs, are under increasing pressure.
AI-specific skills, despite commanding wage premiums, have not yet translated into broad job growth. In regions with high demand for AI skills, employment in AI-vulnerable occupations was 3.6% lower after five years compared to regions with lower demand.
Georgieva noted that this trend poses particular challenges for young people, as entry-level jobs are often more exposed to automation.
Why this matters
The IMF warned that without proactive policies, AI could widen inequality and deepen labour market anxieties.
“With nearly 40% of global jobs exposed to AI-driven change, concerns about job displacement and declining opportunities for some groups are becoming more acute,” the Fund stated.
“This underscores the need for comprehensive policymaking that prepares the labour force for the future of work and ensures the gains from AI are broadly shared.”
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To guide policymakers, Georgieva said the IMF has developed a Skill Imbalance Index, which compares future demand for new skills with existing supply.
Countries such as Brazil, Mexico, and Sweden, where demand for skills outpaces supply, will need to invest more in training, STEM education, and skilled migration. Others, including Australia, Ireland, and Poland, have strong talent pools but weaker demand, requiring policies that stimulate innovation and firm creation.
Emerging and low-income economies, where both demand and supply of new skills remain limited, will require a combination of education reforms, innovation policies, and labour market adjustments.
What you should know
The IMF has previously warned that nearly 40% of jobs globally will be affected by AI, with advanced economies facing greater exposure than emerging and low-income nations.
It added that productivity gains among high-income workers and firms could widen wealth inequality, urging governments to strengthen social safety nets and expand retraining programs for vulnerable workers.
