More than two-thirds of workers are willing to retrain for new jobs as they look toward the aftermath of the pandemic, according to a new study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and The Network.
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The interest in developing new skills is highest among those in the early- and midcareer phases.
The economic uncertainty touched off by the pandemic comes at a time when workers in just about every field already have some level of concern about being replaced by technology.
Forty-one percent of workers globally have become more concerned about automation during the pandemic, according to the survey. Increased concern is especially common among people who work at financial institutions or at insurance or telecommunications companies.
Retraining willingness — 68% globally —i s highest among workers who have fared worst during the pandemic or have the most concern about automation. This includes workers in service-sector, customer service, and sales roles. Almost three-quarters of the people in these jobs say they would retrain for something new. Those in job roles seen as less vulnerable—health and medicine, social work, and science and research—generally aren't as ready to switch careers.
There are some geographic differences in the willingness to retrain as well. People in developing economies, including many in Africa, are the most enthusiastic, with as many as three-quarters saying they would retrain to prepare themselves for a new job. Europeans and Americans have the lowest level of willingness, the study shows, but even in those geographies the proportion of people who say they would retrain is generally above 50%.
More than a third of people worldwide have been laid off or forced to work fewer hours during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the survey. The economic fallout has been worst for the young and least educated. Almost half of those under 20, and an equal proportion of people with only a high school degree, have lost income during the pandemic. ■