(Ecofin Agency) - The rise of new technologies is shaking up the global job market. According to the World Economic Forum, this impact is expected to intensify by the end of the year, with millions of job creation opportunities, but also massive job losses.

The global job market is expected to undergo a major transformation by 2030, with 170 million new jobs created and 92 million eliminated, resulting in a net gain of 78 million jobs (a 7% increase). This projection comes from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its Future of Jobs Report 2025, which identifies technology as the main driver of this shift, creating and eliminating more jobs than any other macro trend.

According to the report, technology will create 19 million new jobs while leading to a loss of 9 million. Three major trends are highlighted as key factors in this transformation: expanded digital access, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and information processing, and the growth of robotic and autonomous systems.

The expansion of digital access is described as a crucial opportunity, especially for economically marginalized populations, offering broader inclusion. Advances in AI and information processing are expected to have the most significant impact on employment. These advancements will create 11 million jobs while eliminating 9 million. Key drivers of this dynamic include task automation, data analysis, and process optimization.

In contrast, robotic and autonomous systems are expected to cause the largest net loss of jobs, with an estimated reduction of 5 million positions. These automated systems are steadily replacing manual and routine tasks, particularly in industries such as manufacturing and logistics.

The WEF report underscores that while technology will continue to transform the job market, careful management of these trends is essential to maximize opportunities and minimize disruptions.

Human-Machine Interactions on the Job Market are Changing

According to the WEF, the interactions between humans, machines, and algorithms are reshaping job roles in many sectors. Automation is set to radically change the way work is done, reducing the number of tasks carried out exclusively by humans. Currently, 47% of tasks are done only by humans, 22% by technology (machines and algorithms), and 30% by a combination of both.

By 2030, employers expect a nearly equal balance between these three categories. The decline in human-only tasks will primarily be driven by increased automation, which will account for 82% of this reduction, while 19% will come from stronger collaboration between humans and machines.

Though these projections from the WEF are estimates, they highlight the urgent need for governments and businesses to accelerate efforts to adapt to changes in the job market that have been ongoing for several years. Key challenges they will face include increased investment in continuous training, skill development, and education. One forecast from the report, which aligns with other studies, suggests that nearly 60% of the global workforce will need to be trained or retrained to adapt to the upcoming changes by 2030.

Africa, with its young and fast-growing population, could benefit from this technological revolution if it invests heavily in digital skills development. In 2021, Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), warned about this issue during the Nobel Prize Dialogue held at the University of Pretoria. He stressed that the continent must transform its job market to keep up with the fourth industrial revolution to avoid a major unemployment crisis, with only 100 million people employed out of 450 million by 2030.

“We are in the era of the industrial revolution. You have automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and nanotechnology. So, we have got to retool and reskill, because all these new developments mean that the world is moving rapidly," said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, according to statements reported by Agence Ecofin.

Technology is reshaping the global job market. While it promises significant opportunities with the creation of millions of jobs, it also requires careful planning to minimize job losses and prepare workers with the skills needed for the future. Africa, in particular, must seize this opportunity and invest heavily in training its young population to avoid a major crisis. As the AfDB president pointed out, “Youth must be prepared for the jobs of the future – not the jobs of the past”.