LinkedIn: What are the fastest-growing jobs of today?

For those who have been in the HR industry for two or more decades, the job market may look unrecognizable from when they first began their career.

New career choices have emerged, offering employees roles in tech and AI, sustainability, DEI, and cybersecurity, to name just a few that have recently emerged.

But now, as candidates are exposed to a greater choice of roles, more individuals are looking to leave their current jobs, compared to those intending to stay. In fact, a lot more.

So much so, that LinkedIn found that 85% of US professionals are considering looking for a new job in 2024.

Similarly, three-quarters (75%) of UK professionals reported that they’re considering moving jobs in 2024, with almost half (49%) of hiring managers expecting employee attrition levels to increase, too.

As you may be able to guess, as jobs have been changing, so have the skillsets required for them. In fact, LinkedIn data found that since 2015, job skillsets have changed by 25%, and will continue to shift by 65% by 2030 globally.

Interestingly, many of the fastest-growing roles today did not even exist twenty years ago – which may account for why some businesses are struggling to find talent with the skills they need. With so many roles emerging in new areas, such as generative AI, learning and development is now a strategic imperative for businesses,” says Becky Schnauffer, head of global clients at LinkedIn Talent Solutions.

Yet only 33% of employees know how to match their current skills with a job they want, with 58% sharing it’s hard to find a new role.

This frustration works both ways, with over half of hiring managers expressing concerns about missing out on top talent due to hiring practices primarily focusing on qualifications rather than skillsets.

“Implementing targeted upskilling programs will help businesses to capture opportunities and boost their resilience,” Schnauffer adds.

“Our research also shows that career development is a top priority for professionals globally, so these opportunities to create learning opportunities and expand existing skill sets will also be crucial for attracting and retaining talent.”

While jobs have been changing, it’s also been harder for individuals to obtain new roles, with research showing that competition has doubled.

In 2022, there was one job opening for approximately every two active applicants in the UK. This rose to one job opening for approximately every four applicants by mid-2023.

A driving factor for the majority of these individuals is the hunt for higher salaries, with 41% of UK professionals reporting they’re looking to navigate the cost-of-living crisis. In contrast, 19% are more confident in their abilities and want to find a better role to grow their careers.

But although new careers are taking the job market by storm, some are more popular than others.

What are the world’s fastest-growing careers?

It’s clear – the job market has significantly shifted, and some roles have become more popular than others, particularly with the rise of trends such as AI, sustainability, and cybersecurity.

Careers in sustainability were found to be particularly popular in Europe, with sustainability managers being the fastest-growing role in the UK and Germany, third fastest in Spain, and sustainability analyst ranking as the second fastest-growing role in Sweden.

In the US, a similar pattern was found, with the environment health safety managers ranking third on the list and sustainability analyst falling close behind in fifth place. Similarly, vice president of diversity and inclusion was seventh.

Analysts – although in different forms – have also become one of the world’s hottest jobs, with government program analysts taking the second spot in the US (and of course, the above-mentioned sustainability analyst in the fifth spot).

Back in Europe, cybersecurity analysts are the second-fastest growing jobs in Sweden, product analysts are third in the Netherlands, and underwriting analysts placed third in the UK.

However, in Spain, two analyst roles take the top spot, with security operation center analysts being the number one role, and software engineering analysts falling in second place.

But of course, we can’t forget our old friend AI.

With this technology on the rise, it’s no surprise that some of the fastest-growing jobs are in this sector.

In fact, artificial intelligence consultants took eighth place in the US, with artificial intelligence engineers following two places behind – while also ranking second in Italy.

“While competition for jobs has doubled in many countries across the world – such as the US,UK, and France – our Jobs on the Rise list shows that roles in AI, sustainability, and cybersecurity are providing bright spots to jobseekers,” Schnauffer concludes.