Study reveals the fastest growing and declining jobs by 2030 –WEF

The World Economic Forum has published its latest Future of Jobs Report revealing a ranked list of jobs likely to flourish or dwindle by the year 2030.

These trends are primarily driven by advancements in technology, automation, and sustainability.

Fastest growing jobs

Roles in technology will dominate, with demand for AI specialists, data scientists, and software developers surging as businesses prioritize digital solutions.

Cybersecurity professionals like information security analysts will be crucial, while renewable energy engineers and electric vehicle specialists will benefit from the global push for sustainability.

UI/UX designers and data analysts will also be in high demand, along with delivery services drivers due to e-commerce growth.

Fastest Growing Jobs by 2030:

1. Big data specialists
2. FinTech engineers
3. AI and machine learning specialists
4. Software and applications developers
5. Security management specialists
6. Data warehousing specialists
7. Autonomous and electric vehicle specialists
8. UI and UX designers
9. Light truck or delivery services drivers
10. Internet of things specialists
11. Data analysts and scientists
12. Environmental engineers
13. Information security analysts
14. DevOps engineers
15. Renewable energy engineers

Fastest declining jobs

Meanwhile, manual and administrative roles are set to decline. Postal clerks, bank tellers, and data entry clerks will be replaced by automation, as will cashiers and ticket clerks with the rise of self-checkout systems.

Telemarketers and door-to-door salespeople will be phased out due to digital marketing and AI-driven tools, while legal secretaries and claims adjusters will also be replaced by automation.

Interestingly, a creative job such as graphic designer also made it to the list. This is likely due to big corporations resorting to AI-generated imagery for their graphical materials.

This is also the first-time prediction—along with legal secretaries—not seen in previous Future of Jobs reports.

“Job decline in both roles is seen as driven by both AI and information processing technologies as well as by broadening digital access,” the report said.

“This is a major change from the report’s 2023 edition, when Graphic Designers were considered a moderately growing job.”

Fastest Declining Jobs by 2030:

1. Postal service clerks
2. Bank tellers and related clerks
3. Data entry clerks
4. Cashiers and ticket clerks
5. Administrative assistants and executive secretaries
6. Printing and related trades workers
7. Accounting, bookkeeping and payroll clerks
8. Material-recording and stock-keeping clerks
9. Transportation attendants and conductors
10. Door-to-door sales workers, news and street vendors, and related workers
11. Graphic designers
12. Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
13. Legal officials
14. Legal secretaries
15. Telemarketers

For more in-depth information, check out the full report here.