By Jeff Maggioncalda, Coursera CEO
Today, the World Economic Forum published the Future of Jobs Report 2025, revealing that shifts in technology, the economy, demographics, and the green transition will dramatically reshape labor markets worldwide. By 2030, 92 million jobs will be displaced, and 170 million new ones will be created, a net increase of 78 million. Coursera data in the report highlights a crucial trend in emerging technologies: the growing global adoption of generative AI is driving a surge in demand for GenAI training.
Based on data from over 1,000 companies, the report finds that the skills gap remains the most significant barrier to business transformation, with nearly 40% of job skills expected to change and 63% of employers citing it as their primary challenge. AI and other fast-growing technologies are transforming business models and driving new mandates for employee upskilling:
- Half of employers plan to re-orient their business in response to AI
- 80% plan to upskill workers with AI training and two-thirds plan to hire talent with specific AI skills, while only 40% plan to reduce their workforce as AI automates certain tasks.
- 85% of employers plan to upskill their workforce in response to growing skills gaps – with half of businesses planning to transition staff into growing roles.
- 73% plan to automate more processes
- 70% plan to hire talent with new skills
The report also shared the fastest growing and declining roles driven largely by developments in AI, robotics, and increasing digital access:
Online learning will play a vital role in addressing the widespread skills gap, driving workforce transformation, and supporting job transitions. Coursera data for the Future of Jobs Report 2025 reveals significant growth in demand for Generative AI training among both individual and enterprise learners:
- Of nearly 7.4 million AI enrollments on the platform in 2024, over 3.2 million enrollments were in GenAI training–an average of six enrollments per minute (compared to two enrollments in GenAI content per minute in 2023). India and the United States led enrollment numbers.
- Individual learners on Coursera focused on foundational skills and conceptual topics, such as prompt engineering, trustworthy AI practices, and strategic decision-making around AI.
- Enterprise-sponsored learners emphasize practical applications that deliver immediate workplace productivity gains, including AI tools to enhance efficiency in Excel or develop new applications.
The world’s top technology companies and research universities launched over 670+ courses and guided projects on Coursera in response to the growing global AI imperative. This includes GenAI-enhanced Professional Certificates, which prepare workers without a college degree or prior experience for digital job roles that increasingly require GenAI skills, and the GenAI Academy, which equips organizations and their workforces with GenAI literacy skills, leadership and executive education, and role-specific training for high-impact job functions.
Navigating these shifts requires more than individual effort. Companies, governments, and educational institutions must work together to identify and prepare the workforce with new and emerging skills. Coursera and our partners are committed to working with institutions around the world to enrich their skills strategy and turn threats into opportunities for inclusive growth.
To learn more about the global skills and jobs outlook, read the WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025. To prepare your workforce, visit coursera.org/business.
