New Economy Skills 2025

Share of executives indicating that public education systems develop well the stated skill, by regionFIGURE 2 In regions where students have better access, the issue is often not a lack of digital literacy in students, but in their teachers and other adults. According to the 2023 European Commission’s Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), almost 70% of young people (ages 16-24) in the EU possess at least basic digital skills, compared to 54% of the overall population.8 One study examining several OECD countries suggests that many practicing teachers did not acquire sufficient digital skills prior to entering the classroom.9 And, on average across OECD countries, 43% of teachers in the 2018 survey reported not having studied the use of ICT as part of their initial teacher education, an issue more pronounced among experienced teachers.10 Regardless, young people still face challenges applying these skills later in life, particularly in the form of more advanced skills such as data analysis, coding and the ethical considerations surrounding AI, which are less consistently developed. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) has found that while students are adept at using technology for communication and information retrieval, fewer demonstrate proficiency in computational thinking or digital content creation.11 This points to a need for curricula that move beyond foundational skills and engage learners in more complex and creative uses of technology. Another significant gap in the talent pipeline is gender. Women’s participation in tech and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields has grown only marginally in recent years (from 26% in 2016 to 28% in 2024), and women still represent less than one-third of the STEM workforce.12 Recent Forum research shows that women are less likely to hold AI-engineering roles and are more likely to occupy jobs that are at higher risk of disruption from generative AI. LinkedIn data shows that between 2018 and 2025, in nearly 92% of the countries analysed, men outpaced women in listing AI-engineering skills. Source: World Economic Forum Executive Opinion Survey 2025. Mean 0% 100%Working with others Creativity and problem solving Technology literacy Curiosity and lifelong learning Resilience, flexibility and agility Networks and cybersecurity AI and big data Central Asia Easter n Asia Europe Latin America and the Caribbean Middle East and Norther n Africa Norther n America Oceania South-Easter n Asia Souther n Asia Sub-Saharan Africa Global New Economy Skills: Building AI, Data and Digital Capabilities for Growth 9