The labour market is polarized andgets more and more complex. This is one of the conclusions that the last research from ManpowerGroup, presented in the World Economic Forum in Davos, has come to.

In ‘Human Age 2.0: the Future Forces of the Labour Market”, the global human resources company states that demographic changes, fast globalization and technological revolution, together with a highly uncertain business environment, are desynchronizing the labour markets.

On a global level, the consequence is a market with high levels of unemployment and job vacancies, a rise of productivity with stuck salaries and economic recovery with a decrease of promotions for many. Workers’ skills are out-of-time with business needs.

Jonas Prising, President and CEO of ManpowerGroup believes that “the breaking point has come, as well as a new way of thinking the labour market”. ManpowerGroup’s CEO stated that “our current time, the Human Age 2.0 (the era of talent and people 2.0), does not have to be a battle between men and machines. New jobs, which enable lots of people to take more satisfying tasks, are been created. But these people will also need proper training to deliver those tasks. Those who have the skills the market demands and who can be more productive thanks to the new tools –in industries such as computer sciences or engineering- will have greater salaries”.

“However, those with low qualification or outdated skills, will see their salaries freeze or decrease as the tasks become more simple or automatized. In the final analysis the future is full of opportunities and growth, but continuous learning and development of human capital skills is vital”, concluded Prising.

Getting ahead with training based on demand will be key to remain competitive. This idea seems to apply to people and countries.