Upskilling And Reskilling In The Tech Industry Statistics 2026

US employers report needing to retrain or upskill workers to fill 60 percent of roles they cannot recruit for externally. At the same time 7.8 million workers switched jobs after quitting in one recent twelve month stretch. Organizations with structured reskilling programs fill open positions 30 to 50 percent faster than those that hire only from outside.

Key Takeaways

7.8 million workers in the US switched jobs between August 2022 and August 2023 due to quitting, which employers often seek to backfill with newly skilled talent.
4.7% unemployment rate in the US in 2023 (continuing a tight labor market), which increases competition for workers who already have in-demand tech skills.
54% of organizations globally say the biggest barrier to reskilling is the lack of time for employees to attend training (2023).
AI skills are among the fastest-growing training priorities: 54% of tech executives say they are investing in AI-related upskilling for employees (2024).
56% of employees say they have taken at least one online course in the past year (World Economic Forum/LinkedIn-style survey findings cited in 2022–2023 global learning reports).
47% of workers in the EU participated in education or training in the 12 months prior to the survey (Eurostat, 2023 for adults 25–64).
Organizations that implement structured reskilling programs report 30–50% faster internal fill rates for roles than organizations relying on external hiring alone (Gartner, 2023).
IBM reports that after adopting its internal digital skills program, it achieved 80% of participants being redeployed or developing new capabilities within 6–12 months (IBM internal case).
In the OECD’s 2022 employment outlook discussion of training, job-related training is associated with higher employment rates for adults participating in learning (OECD, 2022).
The global corporate e-learning market is projected to reach $417.0 billion by 2026 (MarketsandMarkets, 2022).
The global e-learning market is projected to reach $645.1 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights, 2023).
Udacity’s 2023 learning platform metrics showed 10+ million learners across its catalog (Udacity annual/impact reporting, 2023).
Gartner forecast public cloud services spending would grow 20.4% in 2024, supporting continuous cloud reskilling cycles.
Gartner estimated that 70% of enterprises will deploy or use AI-enabled software by 2025, driving AI upskilling demand.
For 2024, Gartner projected that worldwide spending on data and analytics will reach $274.3 billion, increasing demand for data skills upskilling.

With tight competition and persistent skills gaps, tech leaders increasingly invest in time saving reskilling.

01 · Category

Workforce Shortages5 stats

7.8 million workers in the US switched jobs between August 2022 and August 2023 due to quitting, which employers often seek to backfill with newly skilled talent.

4.7% unemployment rate in the US in 2023 (continuing a tight labor market), which increases competition for workers who already have in-demand tech skills.

54% of organizations globally say the biggest barrier to reskilling is the lack of time for employees to attend training (2023).

44% of workers in the US say they have skills gaps that require training to keep up with their job (US, 2023).

60% of employers in the US report that they need to retrain or upskill workers to fill roles they cannot recruit for (2024 survey).

Interpretation

Workforce Shortages Interpretation

With the US unemployment rate at just 4.7% in 2023 and 7.8 million people switching jobs from August 2022 to August 2023, workforce shortages are intensifying, pushing organizations to turn to reskilling and upskilling since 60% of US employers say they need retraining to fill roles they cannot recruit for.

02 · Category

Training Uptake3 stats

AI skills are among the fastest-growing training priorities: 54% of tech executives say they are investing in AI-related upskilling for employees (2024).

56% of employees say they have taken at least one online course in the past year (World Economic Forum/LinkedIn-style survey findings cited in 2022–2023 global learning reports).

47% of workers in the EU participated in education or training in the 12 months prior to the survey (Eurostat, 2023 for adults 25–64).

Interpretation

Training Uptake Interpretation

Training uptake in tech is clearly accelerating, with 54% of executives investing in AI-related upskilling, 56% of employees taking at least one online course in the past year, and 47% of EU workers participating in education or training over the previous 12 months.

03 · Category

Program Outcomes3 stats

Organizations that implement structured reskilling programs report 30–50% faster internal fill rates for roles than organizations relying on external hiring alone (Gartner, 2023).

IBM reports that after adopting its internal digital skills program, it achieved 80% of participants being redeployed or developing new capabilities within 6–12 months (IBM internal case).

In the OECD’s 2022 employment outlook discussion of training, job-related training is associated with higher employment rates for adults participating in learning (OECD, 2022).

Interpretation

Program Outcomes Interpretation

From a Program Outcomes perspective, structured reskilling can speed up internal role fill rates by 30–50%, IBM’s approach shows 80% of participants are redeployed or building new capabilities, and OECD evidence links job related training to higher adult employment rates.

04 · Category

Market Size12 stats

The global corporate e-learning market is projected to reach $417.0 billion by 2026 (MarketsandMarkets, 2022).

The global e-learning market is projected to reach $645.1 billion by 2030 (Fortune Business Insights, 2023).

Udacity’s 2023 learning platform metrics showed 10+ million learners across its catalog (Udacity annual/impact reporting, 2023).

LinkedIn reported 1.0 billion total members in 2023, expanding the potential talent pool for skill-based matching and learning initiatives (LinkedIn investor materials).

In 2023, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated there were about 5.4 million jobs in computer and mathematical occupations (employment count).

US employment in computer and mathematical occupations increased by 410,000 jobs between 2022 and 2023 (BLS OE/Employment Change, 2023).

Worldwide spending on AI software is forecast to reach $246.6 billion in 2024, supporting AI reskilling needs (Gartner, 2024).

$18.4 billion global spend on employee training in 2024 (overall training spend supporting reskilling/upskilling).

$5.0 billion US market size for corporate e-learning in 2024 (training delivery market relevant to upskilling).

The US had 7,267,000 people employed in computer and mathematical occupations in 2023 (labor pool relevant for tech upskilling/reskilling interventions).

The global AI software market is forecast to reach $297.5 billion by 2030 (AI capability expansion that drives AI upskilling/reskilling).

The global digital skills training market is forecast to reach $46.5 billion by 2030 (growth supporting reskilling/upskilling).

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

With the global corporate e-learning market projected to grow to $417.0 billion by 2026 and the overall e-learning market reaching $645.1 billion by 2030, the tech upskilling and reskilling market is expanding fast enough to match an enormous talent landscape, highlighted by 1.0 billion LinkedIn members and 5.4 million US computer and mathematical jobs.

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05 · Category

Industry Trends7 stats

Gartner forecast public cloud services spending would grow 20.4% in 2024, supporting continuous cloud reskilling cycles.

Gartner estimated that 70% of enterprises will deploy or use AI-enabled software by 2025, driving AI upskilling demand.

For 2024, Gartner projected that worldwide spending on data and analytics will reach $274.3 billion, increasing demand for data skills upskilling.

CISA reports that ransomware incidents remain a high priority; in 2023, CISA and partners issued multiple advisories, emphasizing security upskilling as an operational requirement (CISA advisories, 2023).

In ISC2’s 2024 study, the global cybersecurity workforce gap increased by 12% since the 2021 estimate, indicating accelerating reskilling needs.

The US National Academies reported that cybersecurity risks are increasing and that organizations should prioritize workforce development, reflecting rising reskilling emphasis (National Academies, 2021).

4 in 5 workers report they are learning or training to stay competitive in their careers (continuous upskilling/reskilling behavior).

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

Industry trends show that tech upskilling and reskilling are accelerating as cloud spending is forecast to rise 20.4% in 2024 and AI adoption is expected to reach 70% of enterprises by 2025, while the cybersecurity workforce gap has grown by 12% since 2021 and ransomware remains a top CISA priority.

06 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

In the US, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that annual total compensation for 'software developers' includes wage growth; these wage baselines inform training payback modeling (BLS, OEWS).

BLS reports the median annual wage for information security analysts was $120,000in May 2023 (US), informing reskilling value propositions (BLS OES, 2023).

BLS reports median annual wages for computer and information research scientists were $145,080in May 2023 (US), relevant to internal career ladders from training (BLS OES, 2023).

A 2021 OECD study found that expenditure on active labor market policies varies, but training programs are a common and cost-effective tool when targeted (OECD, 2021).

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

In the cost analysis of tech upskilling and reskilling, BLS data show that key roles such as information security analysts average a median $120,000 per year in May 2023 and computer and information research scientists reach $145,080, while OECD research highlights that training programs are a common, cost effective active labor market policy, making wage-relevant reskilling a financially targeted investment rather than a generic expense.

07 · Category

Performance Metrics1 stats

A 2017 randomized controlled trial found that job search assistance and skills training increased re-employment rates by about 10 percentage points among unemployed participants (quantified impact of training on labor-market outcomes).

Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

The 2017 randomized controlled trial found that combining job search assistance with skills training boosted re-employment rates by about 10 percentage points, underscoring measurable performance gains for the tech workforce under upskilling and reskilling efforts.

report visual · Breakdown

What drives reskilling demand in tech? (Barriers vs. skills gaps)

A majority of organizations cite time constraints as the biggest barrier to reskilling, while a large share of workers report skills gaps that require training to keep up.

44%

44% of workers in the US say they have skills gaps that require training to keep up with their job (US, 2023).

56%

56% of employees say they have taken at least one online course in the past year (World Economic Forum/LinkedIn-style su

source-verifiednber.org · oecd.org2023

Reference

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APA

Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Upskilling And Reskilling In The Tech Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-tech-industry-statistics

MLA

Elif Demirci. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Tech Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-tech-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Elif Demirci. 2026. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Tech Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-tech-industry-statistics.