Upskilling is becoming essential as job skills change. By 2030, the World Economic Forum expects 1 billion people to need reskilling, while McKinsey projects 8–9% of the global workforce may require redeployment through learning. On this page, you’ll map who is affected—from executives and managers to frontline workers—and the obstacles that slow progress, from time and budget to support and promotion fears. Then we’ll cover what outcomes look like, including career and business benefits, plus the growing pull of AI skills.
Key Takeaways
- 85% of executives cite lack of time as the top barrier to upskilling per LinkedIn's 2023 report
- Deloitte's 2022 survey reveals 62% of workers say no budget allocation hinders upskilling
- PwC's 2023 Hopes and Fears notes 58% fear upskilling won't lead to promotions
- World Economic Forum predicts 1 billion people need upskilling by 2030
- McKinsey forecasts 8-9% of global workforce needs redeployment by 2030 via upskilling
- PwC projects upskilling could add $13 trillion to global GDP by 2030
- Udacity's 2022 Nanodegree impact study shows 75% of learners advance careers via upskilling
- LinkedIn's 2023 data indicates upskilled workers see 15% higher promotion rates
- General Assembly's 2022 outcomes report states 91% of graduates get jobs within 6 months after upskilling bootcamps
- McKinsey's 2023 analysis shows companies with robust upskilling programs have 2x higher profit margins
- Deloitte's 2023 survey finds organizations investing in upskilling retain 34% more employees
- PwC's 2022 upskilling study reports 92% of executives say it improves business outcomes
- According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023, 44% of workers' core skills are expected to change in the next five years, necessitating widespread upskilling efforts globally
- A 2023 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report indicates that 49% of executives identify skill gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation, highlighting the demand for upskilling
- McKinsey's 2021 report on the future of work states that by 2030, up to 375 million workers may need to switch occupational categories, driving upskilling needs
Upskilling is accelerating with AI and major job shifts, but time, budgets, and support gaps still hinder progress.
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01 · Category
Barriers To Upskilling18 stats
01
85% of executives cite lack of time as the top barrier to upskilling per LinkedIn's 2023 report
02
Deloitte's 2022 survey reveals 62% of workers say no budget allocation hinders upskilling
03
PwC's 2023 Hopes and Fears notes 58% fear upskilling won't lead to promotions
04
McKinsey's 2021 research shows 47% of employees lack manager support for upskilling
05
Gartner's 2023 poll indicates 55% of organizations lack personalized learning paths
06
IBM's 2022 study finds 40% cite irrelevant content as a upskilling obstacle
07
SHRM's 2023 data shows 35% of HR leaders report tech infrastructure deficits for upskilling
08
ATD's 2022 report notes 29% burnout from upskilling overload
09
Capgemini's 2023 survey reveals 52% lack measurement of upskilling impact
10
EY's 2022 study indicates 48% middle managers resist upskilling due to workload
11
BCG's 2023 analysis shows 61% SMEs can't afford upskilling programs
12
World Economic Forum's 2023 report cites 44% inadequate government support as barrier
13
OECD's 2022 outlook notes 37% gender disparities limit upskilling access
14
IMF's 2023 working paper shows 50% in low-income countries lack internet for upskilling
15
Korn Ferry's 2022 data indicates 39% cultural resistance in organizations
16
Randstad's 2023 survey finds 46% gig workers miss structured upskilling
17
ManpowerGroup's 2022 report notes 33% ageism affects senior upskilling
18
Harvard Business Publishing's 2023 study shows 41% poor LMS adoption rates
Interpretation
Barriers To Upskilling Interpretation
Across barriers to upskilling, the most consistent pattern is that time and support issues block progress first, with 85% of executives citing lack of time and 47% of employees reporting they do not get manager support.
02 · Category
Future Projections18 stats
01
World Economic Forum predicts 1 billion people need upskilling by 2030
02
McKinsey forecasts 8-9% of global workforce needs redeployment by 2030 via upskilling
03
PwC projects upskilling could add $13 trillion to global GDP by 2030
04
LinkedIn's 2025 outlook sees AI skills demand rising 74%
05
Gartner predicts 90% of enterprises will use skills-based hiring by 2025
06
Deloitte anticipates lifelong learning embedded in 75% of jobs by 2030
07
BCG estimates upskilling gap could cost $8.3 trillion in lost revenue by 2028
08
Accenture projects 47% of skills will change by 2025 due to tech
09
IBM forecasts quantum computing skills needed for 2 million jobs by 2030
10
OECD projects 14% of jobs highly automatable by 2030, requiring upskilling
11
Korn Ferry predicts 85 million jobs displaced but 97 million created by 2025 via upskilling
12
EY foresees green skills demand tripling by 2030
13
Capgemini expects 70% of workforce to upskill in sustainability by 2027
14
World Bank projects digital skills gap closing needs $100 billion investment by 2030
15
IMF anticipates upskilling to mitigate 20% job losses from AI by 2030
16
SHRM forecasts 40% increase in internal mobility via upskilling by 2028
17
ATD predicts microlearning to dominate 80% of upskilling by 2025
18
LinkedIn's 2023 report projects soft skills demand up 25% by 2027
Interpretation
Future Projections Interpretation
Future projections indicate upskilling will scale dramatically by 2030 as the World Economic Forum expects 1 billion people to need it and PwC estimates it could add $13 trillion to global GDP, underscoring that lifelong learning is becoming a core economic and workforce necessity rather than an optional initiative.
03 · Category
Individual Benefits15 stats
01
Udacity's 2022 Nanodegree impact study shows 75% of learners advance careers via upskilling
02
LinkedIn's 2023 data indicates upskilled workers see 15% higher promotion rates
03
General Assembly's 2022 outcomes report states 91% of graduates get jobs within 6 months after upskilling bootcamps
04
Google's 2023 Career Certificates report shows 75% of completers report career advancement within 6 months
05
Microsoft's 2022 Skills Initiative findings reveal upskilled participants earn 10-20% more
06
Pearson's 2023 Skills Outlook notes upskilled individuals have 25% lower unemployment rates
07
Burning Glass's 2021 labor insight shows upskilled workers switch jobs 30% less frequently
08
Gallup's 2022 workplace study finds upskilling boosts employee engagement by 21%
09
SHRM's 2023 research indicates upskilled employees report 18% higher job satisfaction
10
ATD's 2022 State of the Industry report shows upskilling leads to 12% average salary increase
11
Randstad's 2023 Workmonitor survey reveals 60% of upskilled workers feel more confident
12
Capgemini's 2022 Reinventing Learning report notes 70% career progression for upskillers
13
EY's 2023 Reskilling Revolution study finds upskilling adds $6.5 trillion to global GDP via individual gains
14
World Bank's 2022 skills report shows upskilling increases lifetime earnings by 13%
15
IMF's 2023 paper indicates upskilled workers in developing economies see 20% wage premiums
Interpretation
Individual Benefits Interpretation
For individual learners, upskilling is delivering clear career payoffs, with results ranging from 75% advancing their careers to upskilled workers seeing 15% higher promotion rates and 25% lower unemployment.
More related reading
04 · Category
Organizational Impact16 stats
01
McKinsey's 2023 analysis shows companies with robust upskilling programs have 2x higher profit margins
02
Deloitte's 2023 survey finds organizations investing in upskilling retain 34% more employees
03
PwC's 2022 upskilling study reports 92% of executives say it improves business outcomes
04
Boston Consulting Group's 2021 report states upskilling adopters grow revenue 24% faster
05
Accenture's 2023 research shows upskilling boosts productivity by 14%
06
Gartner's 2022 metrics indicate upskilling reduces turnover costs by 50%
07
KPMG's 2023 HR Outlook notes upskilled firms fill roles 2x faster internally
08
Forrester's 2022 study finds upskilling increases innovation output by 17%
09
IDC's 2023 workforce report shows upskilling cuts recruitment costs by 25%
10
SAP's 2022 SuccessFactors data reveals upskilling improves employee performance by 11%
11
Oracle's 2023 HCM trends report indicates upskilling enhances agility by 30%
12
Workday's 2022 skills research shows upskilling adopters have 21% higher customer satisfaction
13
Cornerstone OnDemand's 2023 LMS report notes 78% of upskilled teams exceed targets
14
Brandon Hall Group's 2022 study finds upskilling ROI at 4:1 ratio
15
Towards Maturity's 2023 benchmarking shows upskilling boosts leadership pipeline by 40%
16
Bersin by Deloitte's 2021 high-impact learning report states upskilling correlates with 50% higher market share growth
Interpretation
Organizational Impact Interpretation
Across the organizational impact evidence, investing in upskilling consistently pays off with measurable gains such as higher profit margins, and in particular robust programs are linked to 2x higher profit margins in McKinsey’s 2023 analysis.
05 · Category
Workforce Demand24 stats
01
According to the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023, 44% of workers' core skills are expected to change in the next five years, necessitating widespread upskilling efforts globally
02
A 2023 LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report indicates that 49% of executives identify skill gaps as the biggest barrier to business transformation, highlighting the demand for upskilling
03
McKinsey's 2021 report on the future of work states that by 2030, up to 375 million workers may need to switch occupational categories, driving upskilling needs
04
Deloitte's 2022 Global Human Capital Trends survey found that 66% of organizations report critical skills shortages in their workforce, fueling upskilling priorities
05
Gartner's 2023 prediction notes that 50% of the workforce will need reskilling by 2025 due to digital transformation
06
PwC's 2023 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey reveals that 45% of workers fear job displacement without upskilling
07
IBM's 2023 Institute for Business Value study shows 40% of the global workforce will need to reskill by 2026 due to AI adoption
08
The OECD's 2022 Skills Outlook reports that 25% of jobs in OECD countries are at high risk of automation, increasing upskilling demand
09
Korn Ferry's 2021 Future of Work report estimates a global talent shortage of 85.2 million people by 2030 if upskilling lags
10
Accenture's 2022 research indicates that 75% of executives see skills gaps as a threat to growth
11
ManpowerGroup's 2023 Talent Shortage Survey found 75% of employers struggling to find skilled talent
12
Burning Glass Institute's 2022 analysis shows skills mentioned in job postings increased by 20% since 2016
13
Harvard Business Review's 2023 article cites that 87% of companies prioritize upskilling to close skills gaps
14
EdX's 2023 skills report notes 70% of professionals report skills obsolescence within 5 years
15
Coursera's 2023 Global Skills Report reveals high demand for data skills, with 82% growth in enrollments
16
In Q1 2023, job postings requiring upskilling in AI grew by 21% year-over-year per Indeed data
17
Lightcast's 2023 analysis shows cloud computing skills demand up 32%
18
92% of job postings on LinkedIn in 2023 emphasized upskilling readiness
19
Healthcare upskilling demand rose 28% post-pandemic per Burning Glass 2023
20
Manufacturing skills gap at 2.1 million jobs by 2030 per Deloitte 2023
21
Finance sector cybersecurity skills demand up 50% per Robert Half 2023
22
Retail upskilling in e-commerce skills up 40% per NRF 2023
23
Energy transition skills shortage affects 70% of firms per IRENA 2023
24
Construction digital skills demand doubled since 2020 per McKinsey 2023
Interpretation
Workforce Demand Interpretation
Workforce demand for upskilling is accelerating fast, with figures ranging from 44% of core skills changing over the next five years to 50% of workers needing reskilling by 2025 and up to 375 million workers potentially switching occupations by 2030.
report visual · Key figures
What Holds Upskilling Back (Barrier Snapshot)
Across multiple surveys, lack of time and other structural blockers (budget, manager support, weak learning infrastructure) are consistently cited as major barriers to upskilling.
85%
85% of executives cite lack of time as the top barrier to upskilling per LinkedIn's 2023 report
62%
Deloitte's 2022 survey reveals 62% of workers say no budget allocation hinders upskilling
47%
McKinsey's 2021 research shows 47% of employees lack manager support for upskilling
55%
Gartner's 2023 poll indicates 55% of organizations lack personalized learning paths
35%
SHRM's 2023 data shows 35% of HR leaders report tech infrastructure deficits for upskilling
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Upskilling Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Upskilling Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Upskilling Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-statistics.
Sources & references
46 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level