Wages As the labour market experiences shifts in workforce dynamics due to macrotrends such as technological change, demographic shifts and economic uncertainty, wage dynamics have become an increasingly important factor for understanding the shape of future labour markets. As revealed by the Future of Jobs Survey, more than half (52%) of employers globally expect to see an increase in the share of their revenue allocated to wages over the 2025-2030 period, 41% of surveyed employers anticipate their current wage allocation to remain stable, while 7% foresee a reduction by 2030 (Figure 4.10). Women Those with disabilities Youth from Gen Z (under age 25) Older workers (over age 55) Those who identify as LGBTQI+ Those from a disadvantaged religious, ethnic or racial background Those from a low-income background Migrants, refugees and displaced workers76% 32%52%56% 42% 27% 24% 21% 0 20 100 Share of employers surveyed (%)40 60 80Diversity, equity, and inclusion priority groups, 2025-2030 FIGURE 4.9 Source World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey 2024.Top 3 economies Colombia Egypt Portugal Estonia Ireland Ireland Egypt DenmarkIreland Philippines Morocco Lithuania Switzerland South Africa Tunisia BelgiumSaudi Arabia Israel Tunisia Latvia Norway Egypt Hong Kong SAR, China LithuaniaShare of employers surveyed expecting to focus diversity, equity and inclusion measures on the stated demographic group over the 2025 to 2030 period. Top three economies with the highest share of employer responses for each group. 52% 41% 7%Wage outlook, 2025-2030 FIGURE 4.10 Source World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Survey 2024.Share of employers surveyed projecting the share of wages and other forms of workers’ compensation as a percentage of the company’s total revenue to increase, remain stable or decline. Similar share as today Growing share compared to today Declining share compared to today Smaller companies exhibit higher expectations regarding growth of wages as a share of total revenues, with 57% of employers with fewer than 1,000 employees anticipating an increase in wage share. By contrast, only 45% of employers with 10,000–50,000 employees and 47% of those with over 50,000 employees expect to see the same. In shaping wage and compensation policies, two factors stand out globally: workers’ productivity and performance (cited by 77% of respondents) and competing to retain talent (cited by 71%) (Figure 4.11). Sector-wise, only six industries expect an emphasis on competition for talent over productivity and performance as a factor in their wage considerations: Electronics, Insurance and Pensions Management, Professional Services, Real Estate, Medical and Healthcare Services, and Government and Public Sector. All other industries anticipate a focus on productivity as the more crucial factor when designing wage strategies over the 2025- 2030 period. Future of Jobs Report 2025 58