Around 8% of the world’s workers are part of the global construction workforce.13 A peculiarity of this job family is that it tends to make up a smaller proportion of a workforce as economies move up the income spectrum, except for in low-income economies, where it makes up less than 3% of the total workforce. The construction workforce also covers a wide range of projects, from small residential buildings to large-scale infrastructure like bridges and power plants. Construction tasks are often variable, with job sites constantly changing. This makes full automation more complex; however, transformative technologies are changing the way this workforce operates and the requirements of its workers. Building information modelling systems are a major component of modern construction and involve digital planning of construction operations. AI is increasingly being integrated into these systems to enhance work planning and scheduling, optimize footprint use, ensure compliance with local regulations and incorporate local comfort and safety into buildings. These enhancements boost workers’ efficiency and capabilities by improving the functionality of buildings. The combination of AI and robotics in construction machinery could also transform construction roles. One example is semi-automated bricklaying machinery, which can lay bricks according to the design and specifications input by construction workers. This sort of technology relies on workers’ masonry expertise but can increase worker output and reduce reliance on physical skills. On a larger scale, the entire 84-metre-high Kawakami dam in Mie, Japan, was completed in 2023 using robotics.14 This included remote- controlled crane operations, brushing machines that calculated the pressure and frequency required to smooth concrete surfaces and boxing machines that controlled the support structures of wet concrete – automatically adjusting position as the concrete dried. This sort of technology redirects the construction workforce towards planning and monitoring operations rather than actively participating in the construction process. This can enable capability-building in areas that are dangerous to access, while also improving efficiency. However, achieving this requires a fundamental workforce skill shift and entirely new training approaches. A further example of combining AI and other technologies is using computer vision to monitor equipment for damage, provide real-time hazard detection, ensure rapid quality assurance by comparing executed work with blueprints, and support logistics planning by tracking project progression and identifying delays. This could have significant implications for the safety of the construction workforce, alongside productivity gains. Another technologically enabled shift in the construction workforce is the increasing use of prefabrication in buildings and the development of robotics, including 3D printing to produce these. While these are likely to be limited to certain sections of the construction industry, they will change the types of expertise valued and shift labour demands towards advanced transport and logistics solutions. Enabling the benefits of technological development in construction will require new investment, the incorporation of this technology into new or existing workflows and a future-proofed workforce to harness these advanced systems. This workforce encompasses people who engage in wholesale or retail sales and the services related to them. They make up around 13% of the global workforce, holding a consistent proportion regardless of country income level, although regional discrepancies exist, with a larger proportion of workers in Latin America and the Caribbean.15 The wholesale and retail trade workforce is a large urban employer and can act as a key entry point for women and youth in low- and middle-income countries, who are overrepresented. AI-enabled business-to-business (B2B) apps are changing how small and informal retailers restock. Across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania, small retail shops and hundreds of thousands of informal retailers now restock via B2B apps. Orders are scheduled with AI-driven demand forecasting and route optimization, which cuts stock-outs and wasted wholesaler trips. This can enhance the productivity of both wholesalers and retailers. Similarly, AI integration into click-and- collect processes is changing this workforce in Africa, India and Latin America. 2.4 Wholesale and retail trade2.3 Construction 13% of the global workforce is made up wholesale or retail sales workers. Enabling the benefits of technological development in construction will require new investment, the incorporation of this technology into new or existing workflows and a future-proofed workforce. Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces 10

Jobs of Tomorrow Technology and the Future of the Worlds Largest Workforces 2025