Digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and cloud computing are reshaping the way we work. The rapid adoption of these technologies, in everything from manufacturing to healthcare, is opening up new opportunities for workers with the skills needed to thrive in the digital economy.
In the UK, for instance, approximately two in every three online job postings for digital professionals are seeking software developers and programmers. In the US, software developers and engineers account for 6% of the postings for digital professionals, while the figure is close to 50% in Spain, Canada and Singapore. In Germany and France, the share of job postings for software developers and programmers is slightly lower, but still considerable, at 37% and 36% respectively.
In order to gain a greater understanding of how new digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and information and communication technologies are reshaping the way people live, work and learn, Randstad worked with the OECD to analyse 417 million online job postings over a period of 10 years in 10 countries: Belgium, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.
dramatic rise in demand for certain digital skills
Findings highlighted a rapidly rising number of businesses looking for people with social media management skills. In the UK and the US, the demand for social media skills spread up to 14 times faster than the demand for average skills between 2012 and 2021.
Online job postings for data scientists in Canada, the UK and the US increased more than 40 times between 2012 and 2021.
Some of the biggest growth in digital jobs is in software development, programming and engineering. In Canada, online job postings for these areas were more than three times higher in 2021 than in 2012.
We are in the middle of a profound shift in how we all work and that brings challenges and opportunities. We all must focus on how we can adapt, reskill and embrace technology to find opportunities in this new world of work. However there is a risk that people are left behind. I believe business leaders and policymakers need to step up to make sure the digital revolution is an equal one for all workers."
For company leaders, tracking the development of the labour market will help them future-proof their businesses and lead the race to hire and retain the best talent. This vital task will require detailed, up-to-date information on the most relevant labour market trends related to the adoption of digital technologies.
To find out more about steps organisations can take to guide employees in declining roles into thriving ones, how to prepare for changing labour market and the speed at which digital skills have filtered into the jobs market, access the report summary below: