Job of farm workers, drivers fastest-growing; cashiers, ticket clerks head for redundancy

Farm workers and drivers will figure among the fastest-growing jobs over the next five years, while roles of cashiers and ticket clerks will see the largest decline, a new study showed on Wednesday.

In its Future of Jobs Report 2025, the World Economic Forum (WEF) also said that 170 million new jobs will be created by 2030, while 92 million are projected to be displaced, resulting in 78 million net new jobs.

The report, released days before the WEF annual meeting in Davos from January 20-25, said that job disruption will equate to 22 per cent of jobs by 2030.

Technological advancements, demographic shifts, geoeconomic tensions and economic pressures are the key drivers of these changes, reshaping industries and professions worldwide.

Drawing on data from over 1,000 companies, the study found that the skills gap continues to be the most significant barrier to business transformation today. Nearly 40 per cent of skills required on the job are set to change, and 63 per cent of employers already cite it as the key barrier they face.

Technology skills in AI, big data and cybersecurity are expected to see rapid growth in demand, but human skills, such as creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, will remain critical.