## THE RACE FOR AI-READY WORKERS

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**Canonical URL:** [THE RACE FOR AI-READY WORKERS](https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2026/03/picture-this.pdf)

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### Overview
- As AI transforms work, countries are building data centers and algorithms and racing to build smarter labor markets to supply and absorb new skills.
- The article draws on the IMF Staff Discussion Note Bridging Skill Gaps for the Future: New Jobs Creation in the AI Age (January 2026).

### Key findings
- One in ten job postings in advanced economies, and one in twenty in emerging markets, now requires at least one new skill.
- Employers are willing to pay for new skills:
  - US and UK job postings seeking new skills tend to offer wage premiums of about 3 percent.
  - Job postings listing multiple new capabilities can offer wage premiums of up to 15 percent.
- Of the 23 countries with available data, Ireland, Finland, and Denmark lead the Skill Readiness Index, combining high shares of tech graduates with strong adult literacy and retraining systems.
- Northern and western European countries tend to combine strong demand for new skills with a solid supply of graduates trained in emerging fields, placing them in the upper-right quadrant of the Skill Readiness scatterplot.
- Some countries (e.g., Sweden and The Netherlands) show robust demand for new skills but lack trained workers to meet that demand.
- Wage data reflect 2020–24 regressions for job postings.

### Skill Readiness Index — notable rankings and observations
- Leading countries (top of index): IRELAND, FINLAND, DENMARK, SWITZERLAND, NORWAY, ESTONIA, POLAND, THE NETHERLANDS, UNITED STATES, GERMANY, SWEDEN, CZECHIA, FRANCE, CROATIA, SLOVAK REPUBLIC, SPAIN, LITHUANIA, LATVIA, AUSTRIA, PORTUGAL, HUNGARY, ITALY, CHILE.
- The scatterplot benchmark uses the United States as a reference for projected demand and supply of new-skill vacancies and graduates.
- Luxembourg is excluded from the scatterplot view (1.51; 0.32).

### Supply versus demand patterns and implications
- Countries fall into different quadrants showing combinations of supply and demand:
  - Strong supply and demand (e.g., UNITED STATES, UNITED KINGDOM).
  - Higher skill supply relative to demand (some Northern European economies).
  - Higher skill demand relative to supply (e.g., Sweden, THE NETHERLANDS).
- Policy priorities depend on position:
  - Where supply exceeds demand, focus on fostering innovation and expanding high-skill job creation to absorb talent.
  - Where demand exceeds supply, focus on boosting talent pipelines through expanded education and reskilling.

### Policy recommendations and priorities
- Expand education and reskilling programs to boost talent pipelines where demand outstrips supply.
- Strengthen adult literacy and retraining systems to maintain high Skill Readiness.
- Foster innovation and create high-skill jobs in countries with surplus trained workers so investments in education translate into broad opportunity.
- Monitor wage signals (2020–24 regressions) to align training incentives with market demand for new skills.

*SOURCE: International Labour Organization; Lightcast; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and IMF staff calculations.*

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_Source: https://www.imf.org/-/media/files/publications/fandd/article/2026/03/picture-this.pdf_