Executive summary Amid the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, the most valuable professional capabilities are not technical – but human. Once dismissed as “soft” attributes, human-centric skills – creativity, innovation and adaptability – have become the hard currency of the labour market. Employers increasingly recognize that while technology may support efficiency, human-centric skills drive innovation, collaboration and long-term productivity. Drawing on data from education industry and workforce technology providers, a review of existing research and in-depth, expert consultations, this white paper defines human- centric skills; analyses their global supply and demand; proposes a framework for assessing, developing and credentialling human skills; and highlights frontier practices from around the world. Employers value human skills, but rarely measure or reward them Although highly sought-after, human skills remain invisible in most labour markets. Only 72% of US job postings explicitly mention at least one human-centric skill. In sectors like supply chain and transport, that number drops to just 44%. These skills are often treated as “givens” – rarely spelled out in job descriptions or systematically taught in schools. When comparing monetary values assigned to skills by workers across sectors and across all firm sizes, creative thinking tops the list as the most valued human skill. Yet it is among the least acknowledged in hiring and promotion decisions. Regions show distinct strengths and shared gaps Globally, nearly 60% of executives believe education systems nurture the ability to work with others, but fewer than half see creativity, curiosity or resilience as well-developed. Regional patterns show distinctive strengths: –Sub-Saharan Africa scores above average in creativity, resilience, curiosity and collaboration. –Eastern Asia and the Caribbean show the greatest optimism about human-skills readiness overall. –North America and Oceania excel in creativity and problem solving, but lag in teamwork and collaboration. Creative thinking and resilience are the fastest- growing skills globally, with the steepest increases projected in Latin America and the Caribbean, South-Eastern Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Meanwhile, curiosity and lifelong learning remain the weakest across all regions, underscoring a global challenge in cultivating future-ready mindsets. Human skills are fragile, but hard to automate Often described as “durable”, human-centric skills are surprisingly fragile and highly sensitive to external shocks. Economic downturns, crises and social disruptions can erode them rapidly, as opportunities for practice, collaboration and feedback diminish. During the pandemic, the use of interpersonal interaction skills such as teaching and resilience fell over 5% below 2019 levels. Empathy and active listening proved comparatively more resilient, falling by less than 2%. Yet even by 2025, no human-centric skills had returned to pre-2019 levels. Though considered durable, they can decline without practice and intentional investment; and building these skills takes time: while 25% of learners show progress within weeks, most need several months of deliberate practice to become proficient. The good news is that these skills are also the least likely to be automated. Tasks tied to empathy, creativity, leadership and curiosity have just a 13% potential for AI transformation since they depend on human – not machine – judgement, context and lived experience. The path forward: making human skills count The world urgently needs new ways to value, assess and credential human capabilities. Emerging best practices include creating meaningful, portable credentials that travel across education and employment systems; real-world assessments that measure collaboration, creativity and adaptability in context; and setting shared standards and creating safe spaces for human skills development where people can learn, fail, reflect and grow. In the age of artificial intelligence, the true competitive edge is being human. New Economy Skills: Unlocking the Human Advantage 4

New Economy Skills Unlocking the Human Advantage 2025