Global Skills Report
Executive Summary
The way we work is changing
Automation and digital technologies are revolutionizing almost every industry. The coronavirus pandemic, global instability, and inflation have combined to remake the world’s labor market. By the middle of this decade, an estimated 85 million jobs may disappear, while another 97 million new ones will take their place. Given these changes, it can be difficult to know what skills workers need to develop to stay ahead.
Our Global Skills Report 2022 presents data from more than 100 million people who have used Coursera to learn new skills. We show regional and country-specific skill trends, present year-over-year changes, and share data around how in-demand skills link to high-growth careers. Whether you’re a worker, student, educator, workforce leader, or employer, you’ll find the information you need to succeed—today and in the future.
Digital skills are essential for economic success
Digital skills are the shared language of the modern economy.
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Every worker needs to have fundamental digital skills.
Digital skills help individuals secure employment and organizations drive growth and innovation.
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Three-quarters of workers in a recent survey said that they felt unprepared for jobs in the digital-first economy.
New skills-based career pathways from Coursera offer opportunities to better prepare for today’s in-demand jobs.
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The most popular skills in the last year in the business, technology, and data science domains were leadership and management, probability and statistics, and theoretical computer science.
Not every worker needs to learn how to code, but adding digital skills to supplement foundational human and technical skills enables workers to maintain relevance as skills demands evolve.
Skills development drives opportunity and equity
In-demand skills help different regions and countries drive positive change in their local economies.
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Women’s participation in STEM learning continues to rise.
Forty-seven percent of the people enrolled in Coursera courses are now women, up from 45% last year and 38% two years ago.
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Lower levels of internet access mean lower levels of skills proficiency.
The internet may be the great equalizer, but internet access is not equal. Countries in the lowest 25% of learner performance had average internet access rates of 54.2%, while those in the highest 25% had access rates of 83.6%.
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Courses in human skills had more learners from developed countries, while those in digital skills had more from developing ones.
People invest in human skills to effectively and ethically make use of digital skills, while digital skills provide a gateway to employment.
High levels of skills proficiency are accelerating economic growth
A balance of human and digital skills is key to a resilient economy.
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Europe leads the world in skills proficiency.
Global education, employment, and workforce leaders can model Europe’s competitive advantage—which lies in highly skilled workers—by prioritizing training for high-growth, in-demand skills in business, technology, and data science.
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A small investment has a big impact.
75% of active learners spend less than three hours per week on coursework to advance their careers.
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Learners in the U.S. focused on human skills like project management, decision making, and planning.
It may not be enough to have digital skills. No matter their jobs, workers need human skills to thrive. Business leaders should prioritize training programs that develop these skills.
