GITNUXREPORT 2026

Skills Gap Statistics

The global skills gap costs economies billions yearly.

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Statistic 1

Globally, 54% of all employees will require reskilling by 2025 due to skills gaps in digital technologies according to the World Economic Forum

Statistic 2

In the US, the manufacturing skills gap is projected to leave 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030, costing the economy $1 trillion in lost output

Statistic 3

UK businesses face a digital skills gap affecting 34% of the workforce, resulting in £63 billion annual productivity losses

Statistic 4

India's IT skills gap could cost the economy $100 billion by 2026 if unaddressed, per NASSCOM

Statistic 5

In Germany, the skills shortage in engineering leads to €30 billion yearly GDP reduction

Statistic 6

Australia's skills gap in construction contributes to $15 billion in project delays annually

Statistic 7

Canada reports a cybersecurity skills gap causing $10.5 billion in cyber losses yearly

Statistic 8

France's green skills gap hampers €50 billion in renewable energy investments

Statistic 9

Brazil's agrotech skills shortage leads to 20% yield losses worth $25 billion

Statistic 10

South Africa's digital skills gap results in R200 billion economic drag per year

Statistic 11

In the EU, the overall skills mismatch costs €100 billion in lost productivity annually

Statistic 12

Japan's aging workforce skills gap projected to shrink GDP by 1.5% yearly

Statistic 13

Mexico's manufacturing skills deficit causes $40 billion in export shortfalls

Statistic 14

Singapore's AI skills gap threatens S$20 billion in fintech growth

Statistic 15

Nigeria's oil and gas skills shortage leads to $5 billion production losses

Statistic 16

Sweden's tech skills gap impacts 25% of startups, costing SEK 50 billion

Statistic 17

Globally, 1.2 billion employees at risk of displacement without upskilling

Statistic 18

US GDP could grow 2.6% more with closed skills gap

Statistic 19

UK skills gap costs £2.5 billion in welfare benefits yearly

Statistic 20

India's unaddressed gap reduces GDP growth by 1.5%

Statistic 21

Germany's skills mismatch raises unemployment to 5.5%

Statistic 22

Australia's gap contributes to 4.5% youth unemployment

Statistic 23

France's gap hampers 15% industrial competitiveness

Statistic 24

Brazil's skills deficit costs BRL 80 billion in lost revenue

Statistic 25

South Africa's gap widens inequality, costing 2% GDP

Statistic 26

Worldwide, 40% of core skills expected to change by 2025 requiring upskilling

Statistic 27

US workers need 100 hours of reskilling yearly to stay competitive

Statistic 28

UK 69% of firms plan training but only 10% invest sufficiently

Statistic 29

India requires skilling 400 million workers by 2025

Statistic 30

Germany invests €5 billion yearly in vocational training to bridge gap

Statistic 31

Australia’s VET system covers only 50% of emerging skills needs

Statistic 32

Canada needs to train 5 million workers in digital skills by 2025

Statistic 33

France's lifelong learning participation rate is 20% below OECD average

Statistic 34

Brazil plans to upskill 10 million via Pronatec program

Statistic 35

South Africa’s SETA training reaches only 15% of needy workforce

Statistic 36

EU aims to upskill 120 million adults by 2025 via Skills Agenda

Statistic 37

Japan's reskilling programs cover 30% of displaced workers

Statistic 38

Mexico’s Prospera upskills 1 million yearly but gap persists

Statistic 39

Singapore invests SGD 1 billion in SkillsFuture for lifelong learning

Statistic 40

Nigeria needs to train 3 million youth in vocational skills annually

Statistic 41

50% of global companies lack internal upskilling programs

Statistic 42

US apprenticeships cover only 0.5% of workforce vs 20% in Germany

Statistic 43

UK needs £17 billion investment in adult skills training

Statistic 44

India’s 70% youth unskilled for industry jobs

Statistic 45

Germany’s dual education system still misses 20% digital skills

Statistic 46

Australia’s micro-credentials reach only 10% of workers

Statistic 47

Canada’s indigenous skills training lags 50% behind needs

Statistic 48

France’s VAE validation covers 2% of workforce annually

Statistic 49

Brazil’s SENAI trains 2.3 million but gap remains 10 million

Statistic 50

South Africa’s artisan training output 12,000 vs 50,000 needed

Statistic 51

US healthcare faces 200,000 nursing shortage by 2030 due to skills gap

Statistic 52

Globally, 18 million health worker shortfall by 2030 exacerbates skills gap

Statistic 53

UK NHS reports 40,000 nurse vacancies from skills mismatch

Statistic 54

India's doctor skills gap in rural areas affects 70% of population

Statistic 55

Germany has 50,000 caregiver shortage in elderly care

Statistic 56

Australia needs 85,000 more aged care workers by 2025

Statistic 57

Canada faces 60,000 healthcare aide vacancies

Statistic 58

France's mental health skills gap leaves 1 million untreated

Statistic 59

Brazil reports 300,000 nursing gap in public health system

Statistic 60

South Africa's HIV specialist skills shortage impacts 7 million patients

Statistic 61

EU pharmacy skills gap causes 20% staff shortages in hospitals

Statistic 62

Japan's dementia care skills deficit affects 4.6 million elderly

Statistic 63

Mexico's telemedicine skills gap hinders 50% rural access

Statistic 64

Singapore needs 10,000 more allied health professionals

Statistic 65

Nigeria's surgical skills gap results in 70,000 preventable deaths yearly

Statistic 66

Global healthcare skills gap to cost $8.3 trillion by 2026 in treatment delays

Statistic 67

UK GP skills shortage leads to 8 million missed appointments yearly

Statistic 68

India’s radiology tech gap affects 60% diagnostic accuracy

Statistic 69

Germany needs 500,000 more nurses by 2030

Statistic 70

Australia’s paramedic skills gap causes 20% response delays

Statistic 71

Canada’s physician assistant shortage impacts rural care by 40%

Statistic 72

France’s oncology nursing gap leaves 25% positions vacant

Statistic 73

Brazil’s public health epidemiologist deficit hinders outbreaks

Statistic 74

South Africa’s pediatric skills shortage raises infant mortality 15%

Statistic 75

EU dental hygienist gap affects 30 million oral health cases

Statistic 76

Japan’s physical therapist shortage impacts 2 million rehab patients

Statistic 77

Mexico’s vaccination coordinator skills gap slows immunization 25%

Statistic 78

Singapore’s clinical research skills deficit delays trials by 6 months

Statistic 79

Nigeria’s lab technician gap causes 50% test backlogs

Statistic 80

US manufacturing expects 2.4 million unfilled jobs by 2028 due to skills gap

Statistic 81

Globally, 80% of manufacturers report skilled labor shortages

Statistic 82

UK engineering skills gap leaves 59,000 vacancies

Statistic 83

India's welding skills shortage impacts 40% of auto sector

Statistic 84

Germany faces 400,000 skilled trades worker deficit by 2025

Statistic 85

Australia's construction trades gap causes $20 billion delays

Statistic 86

Canada has 20,000 machinist job openings unfilled

Statistic 87

France reports 100,000 industrial maintenance skills shortage

Statistic 88

Brazil's shipbuilding skills gap halts 15 major projects

Statistic 89

South Africa's mining electrician shortage risks 10% output drop

Statistic 90

EU automotive sector has 200,000 technician vacancies

Statistic 91

Japan's precision machining skills gap affects 25% of exports

Statistic 92

Mexico's aerospace skills shortage leaves 5,000 jobs empty

Statistic 93

Singapore's semiconductor fabrication skills gap delays chip production

Statistic 94

Nigeria's fabrication yard workers deficit impacts oil rig builds

Statistic 95

US construction electricians shortage of 80,000 by 2026

Statistic 96

Global welding skills gap affects 1 million manufacturing jobs

Statistic 97

UK plumbers gap leads to 500,000 home repair waits

Statistic 98

India’s CNC operator shortage impacts 35% machine shops

Statistic 99

Germany’s mechatronics engineers deficit of 50,000 yearly

Statistic 100

Australia’s boilermaker skills gap halts mining expansions

Statistic 101

Canada’s pipefitter shortage in oil sands 15,000 workers

Statistic 102

France’s sheet metal worker gap slows aerospace 20%

Statistic 103

Brazil’s heavy equipment operator deficit causes farm delays

Statistic 104

South Africa’s riggers shortage risks safety in construction

Statistic 105

EU HVAC technicians gap leaves 1 million jobs open

Statistic 106

Japan’s tool and die makers retirement gap 40,000 needed

Statistic 107

Mexico’s injection molding skills shortage affects plastics export

Statistic 108

Singapore’s precision grinding skills gap impacts electronics

Statistic 109

Nigeria’s steel fabricator deficit halts infrastructure projects

Statistic 110

Globally, demand for data scientists will exceed supply by 50% by 2026

Statistic 111

UK has 12,000 unfilled software developer positions due to skills gap

Statistic 112

India's AI skills gap leaves 1 million jobs vacant by 2026

Statistic 113

Germany needs 100,000 more IT specialists annually to close gap

Statistic 114

Australia's cloud computing skills shortage affects 70% of enterprises

Statistic 115

Canada faces 26,000 cybersecurity job openings unfilled

Statistic 116

France reports 80,000 digital job vacancies due to skills mismatch

Statistic 117

Brazil's blockchain skills gap hinders 40% of fintech projects

Statistic 118

South Africa has a 60% deficit in AI/ML skilled workers

Statistic 119

EU digital skills gap affects 42% of population lacking basic skills

Statistic 120

Japan's robotics skills shortage impacts 30% of manufacturing firms

Statistic 121

Mexico needs 250,000 more software engineers by 2025

Statistic 122

Singapore's quantum computing skills gap delays R&D by 2 years

Statistic 123

75% of US firms struggle with AI talent acquisition

Statistic 124

Global data analytics skills demand up 37% yearly

Statistic 125

UK IoT skills shortage affects 82% of businesses

Statistic 126

India needs 1 million cybersecurity experts by 2025

Statistic 127

Germany’s DevOps skills gap impacts 65% of cloud migrations

Statistic 128

Australia's big data skills deficit in 90% of organizations

Statistic 129

Canada’s AR/VR skills gap leaves 5,000 jobs open

Statistic 130

France needs 50,000 more data engineers

Statistic 131

Brazil’s fintech coding skills shortage delays 30% apps

Statistic 132

South Africa’s 5G skills gap hinders rollout to 40% coverage

Statistic 133

EU’s quantum skills gap requires 100,000 specialists by 2030

Statistic 134

Japan’s edge computing skills shortage slows Industry 4.0

Statistic 135

Mexico’s UX/UI designers gap affects 50% digital products

Statistic 136

Singapore’s NLP skills demand exceeds supply by 300%

Statistic 137

US projected 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs unfilled by 2025

1/137

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The staggering reality is that our global economy is hemorrhaging trillions of dollars not from a lack of jobs or innovation, but from a profound and widening skills gap that threatens every sector, from the factory floor in Germany to the digital frontier in Singapore.

Key Takeaways

Globally, 54% of all employees will require reskilling by 2025 due to skills gaps in digital technologies according to the World Economic Forum
In the US, the manufacturing skills gap is projected to leave 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030, costing the economy $1 trillion in lost output
UK businesses face a digital skills gap affecting 34% of the workforce, resulting in £63 billion annual productivity losses
Globally, demand for data scientists will exceed supply by 50% by 2026
UK has 12,000 unfilled software developer positions due to skills gap
India's AI skills gap leaves 1 million jobs vacant by 2026
US healthcare faces 200,000 nursing shortage by 2030 due to skills gap
Globally, 18 million health worker shortfall by 2030 exacerbates skills gap
UK NHS reports 40,000 nurse vacancies from skills mismatch
US manufacturing expects 2.4 million unfilled jobs by 2028 due to skills gap
Globally, 80% of manufacturers report skilled labor shortages
UK engineering skills gap leaves 59,000 vacancies
Worldwide, 40% of core skills expected to change by 2025 requiring upskilling
US workers need 100 hours of reskilling yearly to stay competitive
UK 69% of firms plan training but only 10% invest sufficiently

The global skills gap costs economies billions yearly.

Economic Impact

Globally, 54% of all employees will require reskilling by 2025 due to skills gaps in digital technologies according to the World Economic Forum
In the US, the manufacturing skills gap is projected to leave 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030, costing the economy $1 trillion in lost output
UK businesses face a digital skills gap affecting 34% of the workforce, resulting in £63 billion annual productivity losses
India's IT skills gap could cost the economy $100 billion by 2026 if unaddressed, per NASSCOM
In Germany, the skills shortage in engineering leads to €30 billion yearly GDP reduction
Australia's skills gap in construction contributes to $15 billion in project delays annually
Canada reports a cybersecurity skills gap causing $10.5 billion in cyber losses yearly
France's green skills gap hampers €50 billion in renewable energy investments
Brazil's agrotech skills shortage leads to 20% yield losses worth $25 billion
South Africa's digital skills gap results in R200 billion economic drag per year
In the EU, the overall skills mismatch costs €100 billion in lost productivity annually
Japan's aging workforce skills gap projected to shrink GDP by 1.5% yearly
Mexico's manufacturing skills deficit causes $40 billion in export shortfalls
Singapore's AI skills gap threatens S$20 billion in fintech growth
Nigeria's oil and gas skills shortage leads to $5 billion production losses
Sweden's tech skills gap impacts 25% of startups, costing SEK 50 billion
Globally, 1.2 billion employees at risk of displacement without upskilling
US GDP could grow 2.6% more with closed skills gap
UK skills gap costs £2.5 billion in welfare benefits yearly
India's unaddressed gap reduces GDP growth by 1.5%
Germany's skills mismatch raises unemployment to 5.5%
Australia's gap contributes to 4.5% youth unemployment
France's gap hampers 15% industrial competitiveness
Brazil's skills deficit costs BRL 80 billion in lost revenue
South Africa's gap widens inequality, costing 2% GDP

Economic Impact Interpretation

It seems the world's workforce is cramming for a pop quiz on the future, and failing collectively, yet spectacularly, to the tune of trillions in squandered potential.

Education and Upskilling Needs

Worldwide, 40% of core skills expected to change by 2025 requiring upskilling
US workers need 100 hours of reskilling yearly to stay competitive
UK 69% of firms plan training but only 10% invest sufficiently
India requires skilling 400 million workers by 2025
Germany invests €5 billion yearly in vocational training to bridge gap
Australia’s VET system covers only 50% of emerging skills needs
Canada needs to train 5 million workers in digital skills by 2025
France's lifelong learning participation rate is 20% below OECD average
Brazil plans to upskill 10 million via Pronatec program
South Africa’s SETA training reaches only 15% of needy workforce
EU aims to upskill 120 million adults by 2025 via Skills Agenda
Japan's reskilling programs cover 30% of displaced workers
Mexico’s Prospera upskills 1 million yearly but gap persists
Singapore invests SGD 1 billion in SkillsFuture for lifelong learning
Nigeria needs to train 3 million youth in vocational skills annually
50% of global companies lack internal upskilling programs
US apprenticeships cover only 0.5% of workforce vs 20% in Germany
UK needs £17 billion investment in adult skills training
India’s 70% youth unskilled for industry jobs
Germany’s dual education system still misses 20% digital skills
Australia’s micro-credentials reach only 10% of workers
Canada’s indigenous skills training lags 50% behind needs
France’s VAE validation covers 2% of workforce annually
Brazil’s SENAI trains 2.3 million but gap remains 10 million
South Africa’s artisan training output 12,000 vs 50,000 needed

Education and Upskilling Needs Interpretation

The world is in a frantic, underfunded race to reskill its workforce, and frankly, we're all trying to sprint in shoes that keep coming untied.

Healthcare and Social Services

US healthcare faces 200,000 nursing shortage by 2030 due to skills gap
Globally, 18 million health worker shortfall by 2030 exacerbates skills gap
UK NHS reports 40,000 nurse vacancies from skills mismatch
India's doctor skills gap in rural areas affects 70% of population
Germany has 50,000 caregiver shortage in elderly care
Australia needs 85,000 more aged care workers by 2025
Canada faces 60,000 healthcare aide vacancies
France's mental health skills gap leaves 1 million untreated
Brazil reports 300,000 nursing gap in public health system
South Africa's HIV specialist skills shortage impacts 7 million patients
EU pharmacy skills gap causes 20% staff shortages in hospitals
Japan's dementia care skills deficit affects 4.6 million elderly
Mexico's telemedicine skills gap hinders 50% rural access
Singapore needs 10,000 more allied health professionals
Nigeria's surgical skills gap results in 70,000 preventable deaths yearly
Global healthcare skills gap to cost $8.3 trillion by 2026 in treatment delays
UK GP skills shortage leads to 8 million missed appointments yearly
India’s radiology tech gap affects 60% diagnostic accuracy
Germany needs 500,000 more nurses by 2030
Australia’s paramedic skills gap causes 20% response delays
Canada’s physician assistant shortage impacts rural care by 40%
France’s oncology nursing gap leaves 25% positions vacant
Brazil’s public health epidemiologist deficit hinders outbreaks
South Africa’s pediatric skills shortage raises infant mortality 15%
EU dental hygienist gap affects 30 million oral health cases
Japan’s physical therapist shortage impacts 2 million rehab patients
Mexico’s vaccination coordinator skills gap slows immunization 25%
Singapore’s clinical research skills deficit delays trials by 6 months
Nigeria’s lab technician gap causes 50% test backlogs

Healthcare and Social Services Interpretation

The world is bleeding out from a thousand cuts of vacancies, while we keep holding the bandages but forgetting how to wrap the wound.

Manufacturing and Trades

US manufacturing expects 2.4 million unfilled jobs by 2028 due to skills gap
Globally, 80% of manufacturers report skilled labor shortages
UK engineering skills gap leaves 59,000 vacancies
India's welding skills shortage impacts 40% of auto sector
Germany faces 400,000 skilled trades worker deficit by 2025
Australia's construction trades gap causes $20 billion delays
Canada has 20,000 machinist job openings unfilled
France reports 100,000 industrial maintenance skills shortage
Brazil's shipbuilding skills gap halts 15 major projects
South Africa's mining electrician shortage risks 10% output drop
EU automotive sector has 200,000 technician vacancies
Japan's precision machining skills gap affects 25% of exports
Mexico's aerospace skills shortage leaves 5,000 jobs empty
Singapore's semiconductor fabrication skills gap delays chip production
Nigeria's fabrication yard workers deficit impacts oil rig builds
US construction electricians shortage of 80,000 by 2026
Global welding skills gap affects 1 million manufacturing jobs
UK plumbers gap leads to 500,000 home repair waits
India’s CNC operator shortage impacts 35% machine shops
Germany’s mechatronics engineers deficit of 50,000 yearly
Australia’s boilermaker skills gap halts mining expansions
Canada’s pipefitter shortage in oil sands 15,000 workers
France’s sheet metal worker gap slows aerospace 20%
Brazil’s heavy equipment operator deficit causes farm delays
South Africa’s riggers shortage risks safety in construction
EU HVAC technicians gap leaves 1 million jobs open
Japan’s tool and die makers retirement gap 40,000 needed
Mexico’s injection molding skills shortage affects plastics export
Singapore’s precision grinding skills gap impacts electronics
Nigeria’s steel fabricator deficit halts infrastructure projects

Manufacturing and Trades Interpretation

We are collectively trying to build the future with a toolbox that's missing half its parts, and every country's construction site has a different "help wanted" sign gathering dust.

Technological Skills

Globally, demand for data scientists will exceed supply by 50% by 2026
UK has 12,000 unfilled software developer positions due to skills gap
India's AI skills gap leaves 1 million jobs vacant by 2026
Germany needs 100,000 more IT specialists annually to close gap
Australia's cloud computing skills shortage affects 70% of enterprises
Canada faces 26,000 cybersecurity job openings unfilled
France reports 80,000 digital job vacancies due to skills mismatch
Brazil's blockchain skills gap hinders 40% of fintech projects
South Africa has a 60% deficit in AI/ML skilled workers
EU digital skills gap affects 42% of population lacking basic skills
Japan's robotics skills shortage impacts 30% of manufacturing firms
Mexico needs 250,000 more software engineers by 2025
Singapore's quantum computing skills gap delays R&D by 2 years
75% of US firms struggle with AI talent acquisition
Global data analytics skills demand up 37% yearly
UK IoT skills shortage affects 82% of businesses
India needs 1 million cybersecurity experts by 2025
Germany’s DevOps skills gap impacts 65% of cloud migrations
Australia's big data skills deficit in 90% of organizations
Canada’s AR/VR skills gap leaves 5,000 jobs open
France needs 50,000 more data engineers
Brazil’s fintech coding skills shortage delays 30% apps
South Africa’s 5G skills gap hinders rollout to 40% coverage
EU’s quantum skills gap requires 100,000 specialists by 2030
Japan’s edge computing skills shortage slows Industry 4.0
Mexico’s UX/UI designers gap affects 50% digital products
Singapore’s NLP skills demand exceeds supply by 300%
US projected 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs unfilled by 2025

Technological Skills Interpretation

Despite humanity's breathtaking ability to invent every future-shaping technology imaginable, we've somehow forgotten to invent enough people who actually understand it.

Sources & References

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