Cornerstone OnDemand Inc., a leader in workforce agility solutions, today announced the release of its annual Skills Economy Report, highlighting trends powered by Cornerstone’s labor market intelligence. One key trend in the report included the ‘Great Skills Merge,’ breaking down traditional role separation of “technical jobs” and “people jobs” as AI takes over routine tasks, creates demand for blended roles and redefines corporate workforces with more of a balance of technical and human skills.  

The report highlights a surging demand for skills such as data literacy in customer-facing roles (+22%) and emotional intelligence in advanced technical roles (+95%). 

The report also found AI implementation skills surged 245% year-over-year, becoming the most demanded skill globally, displacing communication, which held that position for over a decade.  

Additional insights from the report include the following.  

• EI (Emotional Intelligence) in the Age of AI: As traditional human skills like customer service (-45%) and sales and marketing (-22%), and administrative support (-38%) decline due to automation, skills like emotional intelligence (+95%), creative thinking (+18%), resilience and flexibility (+42%), and leadership and social influence (+28%) reflect the need for employees who can solve complex problems amid disruption.  

• A Green Light for Green Skills: Capabilities tied to green technologies (+156%), sustainability management (+180%) and renewable energy systems (+165%) rank among the world’s most in-demand technical skills with trillions in global climate investment.  

• The 911 on Health Skills: The aging population and rising healthcare needs are fueling care innovation, creating a demand for registered nurses (+278%), patient care (+79%) and biotechnology (+145%) skills.  

“While AI is rewriting how we work and what is demanded of us at work, people will always be at the center of progress and innovation,” says Himanshu Palsule, CEO at Cornerstone. “While our latest report reveals a 50/50 shift in demand for human and AI skills today, what concerns me is how unprepared many organizations still are. The future is not going to wait for those who fail to meet the moment and invest in their people.” 

“The global workforce is facing a period of unprecedented transformation and restructuring, especially as AI continues to disrupt industries,” says Mohan Reddy, chief scientist, SkyHive Engineering, at Cornerstone. “Understanding historical trends and real-time market intelligence, together, provide critical insight into workforce and skills trends to support organizations in making informed decisions about workforce planning in the short- and long-term.”