respondents emphasizing increased need for this skill. Other growing skills include AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity as well as leadership and social influence. Sub-Saharan Africa In Sub-Saharan Africa, 64% of businesses expect increasing focus on labour and social issues to be a key trend impacting their business strategy over the 2025-2030 period, followed by rising cost of living and broadening digital access (both highlighted by 59% of respondents). Companies headquartered in the region are navigating significant transformation barriers, including perceived widespread skills gaps and shortage of investment capital. Employers in Nigeria and Zimbabwe are anticipating stepping up efforts on workforce development over the next five years, while their South African peers are planning to invest in diversity, equity and inclusiont programmes to improve access to skilled talent. Skills gaps and challenges in attracting talent are expected to be key barriers to business transformation in Nigeria over the next five years. As the country develops its Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry and creates more digital jobs, network and cybersecurity skills are projected to be the fastest-growing skills in demand in the country, with 87% of employers reporting an increasing need by 2030 (compared to a global average of 70% of respondents). This is followed by anticipated employer demand for skills in AI and big data as well as systems thinking. Additionally, service orientation and customer service as well as global citizenship skills are expected to exhibit higher-than-global demand. To help address these talent and skills gaps, 73% of firms operating in Nigeria see benefit in increased public-sector funding for reskilling and upskilling programmes, while 40% state that improving transport services and infrastructure would be equally important to support talent availability. More than 60% of businesses operating in South Africa identify skills gaps as a key barrier to business transformation by 2030, followed by organizational culture and resistance to change (43%). With jobs such as AI and Machine Learning Specialists and Robotics Engineers on the rise, companies are planning to upskill employees and hire talent with new skills to meet evolving business needs. To expand their talent pool and improve skills matching, 34% of companies plan to remove degree requirements, creating more accessible pathways to emerging jobs. In addition, many employers in South Africa expect to focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, with 55% anticipating targeting individuals from disadvantaged religious or ethnic and racial backgrounds, and 41% those from low-income backgrounds, compared to 27% and 24%, respectively, globally. In Zimbabwe, nearly half of on-the-job skills are expected to change over the next five years, higher than the global average of 39%. Accordingly, 90% of employers have plans to upskill their existing workforce. Skills like systems thinking, marketing and media, customer service, dependability and attention to detail, quality control, and global citizenship are all increasing in demand more rapidly than global averages. Finally, 70% of respondents see benefit in public-policy interventions to improve the education system to better equip the workforce for future demands, above a global average of 47%. Europe Digitalization, climate mitigation and rising cost of living are the key trends expected to impact labour- market transformation in Europe over the 2025- 2030 period. As companies headquartered in the region aim to adjust to these trends, skills gaps and talent shortages in the labour market remain a key barrier: 54% of employers expect talent availability to worsen, significantly above the global average. Austria’s labour market is anticipated to change over the next five years, as businesses plan to adapt their strategies in response to growth of the digital economy, rising cost of living, and increased investments in climate adaptation. With a majority of businesses planning to prioritize automating processes and tasks as a key workforce strategy, employers operating in Austria are ahead of many global peers in human-technology collaboration: 42% of all human work tasks are projected to be augmented by technology by 2030 (compared to a global average of 33%). Demand for skills such as motivation and self-awareness is on the rise, with 60% of employers predicting a net increase in their importance. By 2030, companies operating in Belgium expect to see their business models transformed by climate-mitigation efforts, an aging population and rising cost of living. Reflecting these trends, Belgian employers report growing demand for skills such as environmental stewardship (75%, compared to 53% globally) and talent management (69%, compared to 58%). Companies also plan to adopt business practices to boost talent availability, with 85% anticipating investing in reskilling and upskilling programmes, 78% supporting employee health and well-being, and nearly half (48%) facilitating remote work across national borders – all figures are above global averages. In Czechia , businesses anticipate navigating the green transition, demographic shifts, and the digital transformation of industries. Over the next five years, over 80% of employers operating in the country plan to focus their workforce strategies on automation and upskilling, while 76% aim to prioritize transitioning staff from declining to growing roles, a higher share than global average. The labour market is expected to remain tight: only 6% of companies anticipate improvements in talent Future of Jobs Report 2025 70