Mapping the skills needed for 150M new jobs

The world looks very different than it did just 10 months ago. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting every part of our lives, but one of the most challenging issues we face right now is a global unemployment crisis. 

Microsoft estimates nearly a quarter of a billion jobs could be lost this year as a result of the pandemic, and the International Labor Organization estimates another 1.6 billion vulnerable workers in unregulated or informal jobs are at-risk. Meanwhile, global hiring growth has slowed and it’s becoming harder to close hiring gaps.

We have a long road ahead to recovery, and what we need to be thinking about now is how we ensure those who are currently unemployed are able to quickly and successfully find their next role. Solving this crisis will require more than opening back up -- we have to ensure people find work in resilient, sustainable jobs. 

There is reason for optimism: LinkedIn data projects there will be nearly 150M new technology jobs created in the next five years, ranging from software development to IT support.

Helping people around the world get back on their feet

Many other jobs will become tech-enabled, requiring the employees who already have them or move into them to build more digital skills. Our latest research reveals that workers can move into the jobs of tomorrow, even if they don’t have a complete skills match today. To make this a reality, we must focus our reskilling efforts on the digital and soft skills that we know are foundational to emerging jobs, like data analysis and communication.

But the path into a new role isn’t always clear, and we know one of the biggest barriers to taking a next step is understanding how the skills you have translate into jobs. In June, we identified 10 futureproof in-demand jobs with Microsoft and unlocked free training materials to learn the skills necessary to land them. Since then, nearly 13 million people have learned skills that will help them move into jobs of the future.

And today, we’re launching a new, interactive Career Explorer tool that puts the power of LinkedIn data directly into the hands of job seekers so that they can understand how the skills they already have map to thousands of different job titles. We’re rolling out the beta of this tool globally in English starting today, with additional localizations and enhancements in the coming months.

Discovering new careers -- and how to get there

In addition to helping people explore how their skills and experience translate into new roles, this new Career Explorer tool will highlight additional skills they may need to build, with direct links to relevant LinkedIn Learning courses and open jobs in their region. We also know support from your community is critical, so the tool provides an easy link to find members in your network who have held similar positions. 

Giving job seekers a clearer view into where their skills can take them can open a world of new career opportunities. Employers can use this information to reskill their existing workforces to meet the demands of an increasingly digital world, and policymakers can leverage these insights to build training programs that will create more resilient economies. 

We’re grappling with massive transformation right now, but opportunity is out there:  14 million+ jobs are open on LinkedIn right now, and we expect nearly 150 million new tech jobs will be created over the next five years. Providing access to tools to uncover how skills can be a path into these new roles is just one way we’re helping facilitate an equitable labor market recovery from this crisis.

For more resources, visit opportunity.linkedin.com.