One third of employees report lacking skills needed for their current roles. Enterprise learning budgets rose 8.6 percent globally while the corporate training market reached 167.5 billion dollars. Retention figures and performance outcomes show where those investments produce results.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 3 employees said they do not have the skills needed for their current job (global survey, 2021).
- Skill-building is a leading driver of voluntary attrition: 51% of employees left a job because of lack of growth opportunities (global employee survey, 2022).
- 38% of organizations reported that they use training to comply with regulatory requirements (2023 compliance and training survey).
- Enterprise learning budgets increased by 8.6% globally in 2023 (training industry budget survey).
- $25.2 billion was spent on learning and development software worldwide in 2022 (2023 forecast).
- $44.5 billion global corporate eLearning market size in 2022 (2023 market research estimate).
- The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics reports that 74% of adults aged 25–64 participated in education or training activities in 2019.
- 43% of organizations use AI in learning and development processes (2024 survey).
- 74% of organizations expected L&D to be a top priority for HR in 2024 (2024 HR survey).
- Typical corporate training cost is $1,400 per employee per year for classroom training (workplace training cost study).
- Average hourly cost for training staff (training and development specialists) was $29.88 in May 2023 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
- Training via video conferencing can cut training costs by 50% versus travel-based instructor-led sessions (2021 study).
- In one widely cited review, computer-based instruction improved learning by an average effect size of 0.37 compared with no instruction (meta-analysis, 2013).
- Organizations with higher training intensity experienced 24% higher job performance (peer-reviewed study, 2018).
- Training transfer interventions increased on-the-job performance by about 0.65 standard deviations (Campbell review, 2013).
With skills gaps and rising investment in digital learning, effective, AI enabled training is crucial for retention and performance.
Related reading
01 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
1 in 3 employees said they do not have the skills needed for their current job (global survey, 2021).https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-global-risks-report-2021/
02
Skill-building is a leading driver of voluntary attrition: 51% of employees left a job because of lack of growth opportunities (global employee survey, 2022).https://www.glassdoor.com/research/study-how-to-retain-employees/
03
38% of organizations reported that they use training to comply with regulatory requirements (2023 compliance and training survey).https://www.safetyandcompliance.com/training-statistics-2023
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry Trends make it clear that training is increasingly crucial because 1 in 3 employees say they lack the skills for their current roles, 51% leave jobs due to limited growth opportunities, and 38% of organizations rely on training to meet regulatory requirements.
02 · Category
Market Size9 stats
01
Enterprise learning budgets increased by 8.6% globally in 2023 (training industry budget survey).https://www.trainingindustry.com/Reports/Training-Industry-Workplace-Learning-Report/
02
$25.2 billion was spent on learning and development software worldwide in 2022 (2023 forecast).https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/learning-management-system-lms-market
03
$44.5 billion global corporate eLearning market size in 2022 (2023 market research estimate).https://www.precedenceresearch.com/corporate-elearning-market
04
$358.1 million was the 2023 global market for virtual classroom software (2024 market report estimate).https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/03/28/2847356/0/en/Virtual-Classroom-Software-Market-to-Reach-12-3-Billion-by-2032-Says-Market-Research-Future.html
05
The global learning management system market was valued at $14.8 billion in 2022 (2024 estimate).https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/learning-management-system-market-103018
06
The corporate training market was valued at $167.5 billion in 2023 (2024 market research estimate).https://www.imarcgroup.com/corporate-training-market
07
The global digital learning market reached $255.4 billion in 2023 (2024 market research estimate).https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/5949383/digital-learning-market
08
U.S. employers spent $84.7 billion on employee training in 2020 (OECD/US data compilation).https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=EARNINGS_TRAINING
09
In 2021, the U.S. had 4.4 million people employed as trainers and educators (BLS employment level, 2021).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251012.htm
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
Under the Market Size lens, global corporate training spending is clearly expanding as the overall corporate training market reached $167.5 billion in 2023 and enterprise learning budgets grew 8.6% worldwide in 2023, signaling continued momentum in the training economy.
03 · Category
User Adoption4 stats
01
The U.S. National Center for Education Statistics reports that 74% of adults aged 25–64 participated in education or training activities in 2019.https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d21/tables/dt21_502.10.asp
02
43% of organizations use AI in learning and development processes (2024 survey).https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-12-gartner-reveals-60-percent-of-hr-leaders-plan-to-implement-generative-ai-in-2024
03
74% of organizations expected L&D to be a top priority for HR in 2024 (2024 HR survey).https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends.html
04
78% of organizations use blended learning approaches (2022 enterprise L&D technology research).https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/blended-learning-statistics-2022-xyz
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
For user adoption, the data suggests organizations are aligning training formats and tech with broad learner engagement and HR priority, since 78% already use blended learning and 74% of adults aged 25 to 64 participate in education or training, while 74% of organizations expect L and D to be a top HR priority in 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Cost Analysis5 stats
01
Typical corporate training cost is $1,400per employee per year for classroom training (workplace training cost study).https://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG915.html
02
Average hourly cost for training staff (training and development specialists) was $29.88in May 2023 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251032.htm
03
Training via video conferencing can cut training costs by 50% versus travel-based instructor-led sessions (2021 study).https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/3965782
04
Average employer training expenditure per employee was $1,002in 2017 (OECD survey-based figure).https://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/learningatwork.htm
05
U.S. employee benefits (including training-related spending in some classifications) represented 30.4% of total compensation costs in 2023 (BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ecec.htm
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In cost analysis for corporate training, spending is clearly substantial and varies by delivery method, with classroom training running about $1,400 per employee per year while video conferencing can cut those travel based instructor-led costs by 50% and overall employer training expenditure averaging $1,002 per employee in 2017.
05 · Category
Performance Metrics3 stats
01
In one widely cited review, computer-based instruction improved learning by an average effect size of 0.37 compared with no instruction (meta-analysis, 2013).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0034654313481841
02
Organizations with higher training intensity experienced 24% higher job performance (peer-reviewed study, 2018).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1097184X18811164
03
Training transfer interventions increased on-the-job performance by about 0.65 standard deviations (Campbell review, 2013).https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471489213000040
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
Performance metrics show that corporate training can materially boost outcomes, with computer-based instruction lifting learning by an average effect size of 0.37, training intensity linked to 24% higher job performance, and training transfer interventions raising on-the-job performance by about 0.65 standard deviations.
report visual · Key figures
Corporate Training Statistics
Across surveys and market data, corporate training is driven by skills gaps and supported by continued investment in L&D and technology, alongside rising adoption of AI and blended learning.
3
1 in 3 employees said they do not have the skills needed for their current job (global survey, 2021).
51%
Skill-building is a leading driver of voluntary attrition: 51% of employees left a job because of lack of growth opportu
38%
38% of organizations reported that they use training to comply with regulatory requirements (2023 compliance and trainin
8.6%
Enterprise learning budgets increased by 8.6% globally in 2023 (training industry budget survey).
$167.5 billion
The corporate training market was valued at $167.5 billion in 2023 (2024 market research estimate).
$255.4 billion
The global digital learning market reached $255.4 billion in 2023 (2024 market research estimate).
source-verifiedweforum.org · glassdoor.com · safetyandcompliance.com · trainingindustry.com · imarcgroup.com · researchandmarkets.com2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Isabelle Moreau. (2026, February 13). Corporate Training Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/corporate-training-statistics
MLA
Isabelle Moreau. "Corporate Training Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/corporate-training-statistics.
Chicago
Isabelle Moreau. 2026. "Corporate Training Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/corporate-training-statistics.
Sources & references
24 datasets cited across this report
+4 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)