Global Scans · Work · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: AI will replace 16% of jobs over the next decade. A billion people will enter the job market over the next ten years.

• [New] According to Pearson's Lost in Translation report, by 2030 around 65% of the skills needed for today's jobs will have changed, and roughly one in four jobs is at high risk for workers who do not upskill and embrace AI. Frontline Recruitment
• [New] Understanding how to work effectively with AI will become an important workplace capability in the coming years. Blog | Employee Management System | EmpMonitor
• [New] The adoption of AI, including generative AI, is expected to drive strong job growth in a number of computer and mathematical occupations. H2K Infosys Blog
• [New] The employment of data scientists is projected to grow by 33.5% over the period 2024-2034. H2K Infosys Blog
• [New] There will be a 15.8% increase in software developer jobs from 2024 to 2034, with approximately 267,700 new jobs becoming available. H2K Infosys Blog
• [New] By 2028, Gartner expects agentic AI to make at least 15% of day-to-day work decisions, up from near zero in 2024. AI Agent Explained
• [New] The number of full-time independent workers more than doubled between 2020 and 2024, and some projections suggest freelancers could make up half of the American workforce within a few years. Awareness Days
• [New] Only 5% of U.S. workers believe that AI will lead to more job opportunities for them in the future, while 64% expect fewer opportunities. J.P. MORGAN
• [New] Up to 40% of jobs worldwide could be affected by AI-driven automation. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• [New] FinTech job vacancies could grow by about 37% year-on-year in 2026. FinTech Strategy
• [New] Up to 700,000 clean energy workers will be needed nationally. Fuse Recruitment
• [New] Manufacturers will begin to ramp up investment in robotics when the costs of owning and operating a system reach a 15% discount over the cost of employing a worker. Robohub
• [New] There is a shortage of 150,000-200,000 skilled workers today, and it plans to train or retrain 600,000 defence workers by 2030. Hudson Institute
• [New] Getting people back into the office post-Covid has been difficult, and people are increasingly looking for flexible working opportunities that allow them to have a better work life balance. theHRDIRECTOR
• [New] Bill Gates has called for human-reserved jobs in certain sectors to prevent AI replacing them, and expressed concern that governments are not prepared for the impact the technology will have. The Guardian
• [New] The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to lead growth at a 9.32% CAGR through 2031, driven by a surge in desk-centric employment, the expansion of digital health initiatives, and the widespread adoption of e-commerce, which is bypassing underdeveloped specialty retail. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] Sub-goals within Goal 3 include the creation of robots that 1) 90% of citizens will feel comfortable engaging with by 2030, 2) work in remote and dangerous locations by 2050, and 3) autonomously innovate by 2050. Robohub
• [New] 75% of the workforce will be Millennials and Gen Z by 2030. Trade Show News Network
• [New] With construction workers facing 13 times higher risk of heat-related death, and a hotter-than-normal summer forecast for 2026, safety professionals must prioritize heat stress prevention. Occupational Health & Safety
• [New] Skilled trades in Singapore face a shrinking local workforce due to ageing workers and young people preferring office jobs, causing reliance on foreign workers and risking loss of skills. ST

Last updated: 31 August 2026