The International Monetary Fund published research on how artificial intelligence and other digital technologies are reshaping labour markets, finding that employers are increasingly demanding “new skills” and paying a premium for them, while employment effects appear mixed and more negative in occupations most exposed to AI-driven change. The analysis also introduces new cross-country indicators intended to gauge whether economies are positioned to meet future skill needs. Based on an analysis of millions of online vacancies, the IMF finds that one in 10 job postings in advanced economies and one in 20 in emerging market economies now require at least one new skill, with the strongest demand in professional, technical and managerial roles and with information technology accounting for more than half of new-skill demand. Job postings that include a new skill tend to pay about 3% more in the United Kingdom and the United States, rising to up to 15% in the United Kingdom and 8.5% in the United States when four or more new skills are required; US regions with higher adoption of new skills saw employment rise by 1.3% for each 1 percentage point increase in the share of postings requiring new skills over the past decade. However, with nearly 40% of global jobs described as exposed to AI-driven change, the paper highlights that middle-skill roles are being squeezed and that AI-related skills, while commanding wage premiums, have not been associated with employment growth so far, with employment in AI-vulnerable occupations 3.6% lower after five years in regions with high demand for AI skills than in regions with less demand. To frame policy responses, the IMF sets out a Skill Imbalance Index comparing potential future demand and supply of new skills and grouping countries into those with high demand but low supply (citing Brazil, Mexico and Sweden) and those with abundant talent but more modest demand (citing Australia, Ireland and Poland), alongside emerging and low-income economies where both are limited. The research points to a menu of measures spanning training and science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, policies to stimulate innovation and firm entry, competition policy and social protection, and redesigning education to build cognitive, creative and technical skills that complement AI; a separate Skill Readiness Index ranks Finland, Ireland and Denmark among the best positioned to equip their workforces for the transition.
International Monetary Fund 2026-01-14
IMF analysis finds rising demand for new and AI-related skills with higher wages but uneven employment effects
The International Monetary Fund's research highlights that artificial intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping labor markets, with a growing demand for new skills and wage premiums, particularly in professional and technical roles. The study introduces a Skill Imbalance Index to assess future skill demand and supply, recommending policy measures to enhance education and innovation, while noting AI-related skills have not yet driven employment growth.