76 percent people say they need AI skills to remain competitive in the job market: Report
For the vast majority of people, AI isn’t replacing their job but transforming it, and their next job might be a role that doesn’t exist yet, as per the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn.
Professionals aren’t waiting for official guidance or training—they’re skilling up. 76 percent of people say they need AI skills to remain competitive in the job market, as per the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report from Microsoft and LinkedIn.
69 percent say AI can help get them promoted faster, and even more (79%) say AI skills will broaden their job opportunities. In the past six months, the use of LinkedIn Learning courses designed to build AI aptitude has spiked 160% among non-technical professionals, with roles like project managers, architects, and administrative assistants looking to skill up most.
We’ve also seen a 142x increase in LinkedIn members globally adding AI skills like ChatGPT and Copilot to their profiles—with writers, designers, and marketers topping the list. Marketers are interested for good reason. Two of the top ways B2B marketers say they plan to use generative AI this year include increasing efficiency to focus on higher value work (55%) and creating optimized and engaging content that resonates with target audiences (51%).
When it comes to industries, surprisingly, administrative and support services, real estate, and retail lead the way—ahead of the tech industry.
For the vast majority of people, AI isn’t replacing their job but transforming it, and their next job might be a role that doesn’t exist yet:
Globally, skills are projected to change by 50% by 2030 (from 2016)—and generative AI is expected to accelerate this change to 68%.
More than two-thirds (68%) of this year’s LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise (fastest-growing roles in the US) didn’t exist 20 years ago.
12% of recruiters say they are already creating new roles tied specifically to the use of generative AI.
Head of AI is emerging as a new must have leadership role—a job that tripled over the past five years and grew by more than 28% in 2023.
AI Aptitude Heats Up Across Roles and Industries
AI is going mainstream, and creative professionals are skilling up fast.
Occupations with the greatest percentage of members on LinkedIn adding AI Aptitude skills to their profiles in 2023 include content writers (33%), graphic designer (27%), marketing manager (24%), front-end developer (19%) and product designer (18%) among others.
Industries with the greatest percentage of members on LinkedIn adding AI Aptitude skills in 2023 include Administrative and Support Services (16%), real estate v(15%), entertainment providers (13%), among others.
LinkedIn job posts that mention artificial intelligence or generative AI have seen 17 percent greater application growth over the past two years compared to job posts that don’t mention them.
22% of recruiters already say they’re updating job descriptions to reflect the usage of generative AI in the role.
And future-looking organizations are already taking action. Many of LinkedIn’s Top Companies this year— including JPMorgan Chase, Procter & Gamble, and AT&T—are offering their teams AI learning opportunities to drive transformation at scale.
These are signs that AI could be a rising tide that elevates skills across roles and industries. Entry-level workers will take on more strategic projects, while uniquely human skills like management, relationship building, negotiation, and critical thinking will come to the fore for employees at all levels. Organizations that understand this will retain and attract the best talent, and professionals who skill up will have the edge.
