The New
The next decade promises to be one of great disruption for the workforce as the global economy weathers the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to see increasing advances in technology and automation. Plus, the emerging “green economy” is set to create as many as 24 million new jobs. And, this is all coming at a time when millions of Americans are shifting careers, leaving their jobs, and participating in what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation.
In order to adapt, industries and workers will need to rethink what the future of work looks like. Explore the
infographics below to discover what changes the next 10 years might bring, from the fastest-growing
occupations, to the skills most in-demand, to where middle-skills workers fit into the economy of the future.
How social gaming can benefit mental, physical, and emotional well-being
The fastest growing jobs of the next decade fall into three main categories: green energy, healthcare, and data management. Green jobs like wind turbine service technicians and solar panel installers are expected to see some of the greatest growth, percentage-wise, as more of the country converts to renewable forms of energy. However, the overall number of jobs in these fields (11,700 and 17,900, respectively, by 2030) is still dwarfed by more commonly known roles like home health care aides (a whopping 4,600,600 by 2030) and information security analysts (188,300 projected).
While STEM skills remain important for the economy of the future, the job opportunities aren’t exclusive to white-collar, degree-required fields. Of the top 10 fastest growing professions, two fall into the “middle skills” category (as seen in infographic above), defined by roles that require more than a high school diploma but less than a bachelor’s degree. And with median salaries between $56,000-$60,000, these jobs can provide a middle-class living for those who pursue them.
The Reskilling Revolution
A Mismatch of Jobs and Workforce Education Level
For decades, economists and industries have been trying to bridge the so-called “middle skills gap” representing jobs that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree, and which have been persistently hard to fill with qualified workers. (A Harvard survey found that 63% of business and HR leaders had trouble filling such roles.) As baby boomers retire from these middle-skills professions, young people entering the workforce are shunning trade jobs. At a time when a four-year degree is pushed as the pathway to success, there’s also a public perception that a middle-skills career won’t be well-paying.
Beyond recruitment, the middle skills gap is, well, a skills issue. Specifically reskilling, which refers to learning a
new set of skills or training for a new role, and upskilling, which refers to learning additional skills with the goal of advancement. More than a third of workers are expected to need some reskilling (of six months or less) in the next five years, though progress on adopting reskilling programs has been slow on the part of employers and employees. Among the causes: the cost of training, the inability to take time away from existing tasks, and not seeing a clear return on investment. There’s also evidence that business leaders are increasingly expecting employees to pick
up new skills informally, on the job — 94% reported that sentiment in 2020, up from 65% in 2018.
Business Response to COVID-19
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Man vs. Machine
Directly tied to the need for reskilling is the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, which threaten middle-skills jobs, or at least the parts of them based around routine tasks that can be automated. (Economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic have only accelerated those trends.) That’s not to say the robots are coming to take all of our jobs. Several studies indicate that the amount of jobs created by automation are expected to outweigh those destroyed (though that pace is slowing). One survey found that in 60% of jobs, just 30% of tasks could be automated, meaning in those scenarios the skills, not the workers themselves, are likely to be replaced.
The rise of artificial intelligence also means that skills related to working well with others and responding
to changing situations are becoming more important for (human) workers in the future economy (because
they can’t be easily replicated by machines). Among the top 15 skills for 2025, according to the World
Economic Forum, are stalwart ones like problem solving (#3) and critical thinking & analysis (#4), but also
post-pandemic ones like active learning (#2) and resilience, stress tolerance & flexibility (#9).
Source 1: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data via CNBC / Source 2: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Source 3: National Skills Coalition / Source 4: World Economic Forum / Source 5: McKinsey Global Institute
CREDITS
Written by Andrea Morabito
Designed by Allie Pakrosnis
Professor of economics at MIT and Pearson author
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2020
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The 10 Fastest-Growing Jobs of the Next Decade
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Total U.S. video game players
155
million
214
million
227
million
45%
identify as female
55%
identify as male
of American kids (under 18) play video games
76%
of American adults (age 18+) play video games
67%
Breaking Anti-Social Stereotypes
1,3,4
52%
Skills training
2021
workforce Education
4-Year Degree
Job Requirements
Daron Acemoglu
Like most technology, the impact of AI depends on how we humans wield it. As one report points out, ATMs and PCs didn’t kill bank tellers and secretaries, they just changed their job function from simply dispensing cash and taking dictation to more highly-skilled work like customer sales and negotiation. To best succeed in a future economy where change is a certainty, flexibility will be key. With regards to middle skills jobs specifically, educators and governments can help change the stigma around non-degree jobs by promoting them as a potential pathway to earning a decent living. As for workers, look at how your experience can fit into industries that are quickly growing, and seek out upskilling opportunities to ensure that automation complements, not replaces, your skill set.
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Source 1: Entertainment Software Association / Source 2: The Annie E. Casey Foundation / Source 3: Pew Research Center
Source 4: International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University Study / Source 5: Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Source 6: Statista / Source 7: Statista / Source 8: People Magazine
Ultimately, there’s still much we can learn
from video games and a lot to study about their potential effects. The best way to do that, researchers say, will require another shift, too: changing how we quantify and study our screen time to be more holistic, rather than just based on numbers. While we may not yet have a complete understanding of gaming’s impact on how we learn and socialize, what
we do know is that it has more positive effects than first suspected.
Is the solution cutting back on screen time though? Some researchers say not necessarily. While many experts tout the benefits of a “digital detox” or limiting screen time, there is little research to suggest these practices have any tangible benefit, at all. That’s because screen time isn’t created equal, and all tech isn’t necessarily “bad”: scrolling social media has different effects than chatting with a loved one over text, or connecting with friends over a strategy game.
All of this isn’t to say that some gaming habits can’t become problematic. In 2018, the World Health Organization recognized “gaming disorder” in the International Classification of Diseases, following the American Psychiatric Association’s move to add “internet gaming disorder” as a phenomenon in the DSM-5. In August, China even moved to drastically limit online gaming for those under 18, in an effort to “combat gaming addiction.”
How Often Gamers Log On
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Where Our Eyes Are Daily
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Teachers have been using video games in the classroom for decades, as early as 1974, when The Oregon Trail was released to market to teach 8th graders about the real life hardships of the Oregon Trail. It turns out, video games don’t need to be deemed “educational” in order to help students learn, either. As many teachers recently adapted lesson plans for virtual learning, games helped keep kids engaged. Game publishers like Microsoft and Ubisoft created networks for teachers to use already popular games like Minecraft and Assassin's Creed to teach lessons around everything from understanding coral reefs
to exploring Ancient Greece.
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Socialization isn’t the only benefit researchers have associated with gaming, either. Though video game research is fairly new, many studies have identified that video games can help us build cognitive skills, increase neuroplasticity, and even improve how the hippocampus functions. Researchers saw these advantages IRL, too: gamers in their studies could read smaller fonts, drive better in fog, and multitask more effectively.
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Games in Class
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The trend isn’t likely to decline as pandemic restrictions ease, either. Most gamers say they will continue to play in their spare time, and the global gaming industry expects growth to expand in this category by 32% from 2021 to 2025. The category of games expected to see the most expansion? That would be social games, or video games that require social interaction between players, as they appeal
to gamers of all ages.
Right now, nearly two-thirds of Americans play video games, a number that skyrocketed by nearly 30 percent from 2015 to 2020. With stay-at-home orders in place in 2020 and 2021, existing gamers found themselves playing more, while new gamers joined in on the phenomenon. For many, picking up a controller provided a necessary outlet for stress relief,
a much-needed distraction, and a lifeline to social interactions. Games released during
the pandemic, such as Animal Crossing and Among Us, created cultural phenomena, where even celebrities, politicians, and influencers were accessible in these online worlds.
2021
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Gamers in the U.S.
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How middle-skill jobs will contribute to the future economy
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Wind Turbine Service Technician
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3
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Nurse Practitioner
Solar Photovoltaic Installer
Statistician
Physical Therapist Assistant
Information Security Analyst
Home Health and Personal Care Aides
Health Services Manager
Data Scientist
Physician Assistant
Middle-skill job
Low-skill job
$56,230
2020 median annual pay
68.2%
2020
2030
projected growth rate
Postsecondary nondegree
Associate's degree
Entry-level education requirements of the top 10 fastest-growing jobs
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
$115,390
$111,680
projected growth rate
52.2%
projected growth rate
$46,470
52.1%
$92,270
projected growth rate
35.4%
$59,770
projected growth rate
35.4%
$103,590
projected growth rate
33.3%
$27,080
projected growth rate
32.6%
$104,280
projected growth rate
32.5%
$98,230
projected growth rate
31.4%
projected growth rate
31.0%
32%
Four-year degree
16%
HS equivalency
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of workers will require reskilling of six months or less by 2025
of businesses can currently make use of public funds to support employee reskilling
40%
21%
73%
of employees are expected to receive offers of reskilling or upskilling
from employers by 2025
62%
of employees are currently offered reskilling or upskilling by employers
42%
of employees take up those opportunities
40%
of companies using AI are expected to shift tasks from high-skill to lower-skilled workers
26%
The demand for social and emotional skills in U.S. industries is expected to increase
75M–375M
workers worldwide are expected to need to change occupations by 2030 due to automation
between 2016-2030
84%
of employers plan to accelerate digitization of work processes
50%
of employers plan to accelerate automation of tasks
35%
of employers plan to accelerate implementation of upskilling/reskilling programs
Daron Acemoglu
Professor of economics at MIT and Pearson author
Sponsored by
The New
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High-skill job
Low-skill job
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jobs
workforce
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Dax Gazaway
Professor of economics at MIT and Pearson author
Daron Acemoglu
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
HS equivalency
Skills training
Four-year degree
21%
43%
37%
HS equivalency
16%
Skills training
52%
Four-year degree
32%
Associate's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree
Postsecondary nondegree
High school diploma
Bachelor's degree
Associate's degree
Master's degree