The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and Australia have been recognised as leaders in the first-ever QS World Future Skills Index, which assesses how well countries are prepared to address the evolving global job market demands. This new index measures countries based on four main factors: Skills Fit, Academic Readiness, Future of Work, and Economic Transformation. It evaluates 81 nations, showcasing their strengths, challenges, and potential in these areas. The report, published by QS, states that the index is based on data from more than 280 million job postings sourced through QS 1Mentor, the QS Global Employer Survey, as well as economic and demographic data from the World Bank Group.

US

With a final score of 97.6, the United States has been ranked as the most “future-ready” country in the new index. The report highlights that while industries such as coal mining, fossil fuels, power generation, and certain manufacturing sectors in the US are expected to experience job losses in the next decade, the country serves as an “example of how major economies are grappling with industry transitions, balancing the need for new skills with the pressures of job displacement in declining sectors,” according to the report.

UK

The UK has been recognised as a “global leader” in preparing graduates with the skills that are most in demand by employers and industries. While the UK ranks first in two of the index’s four categories, Skills Fit and Academic Readiness, with a perfect score of 100.00, the country falls behind in Future of Work (6th) and Economic Transformation (8th). The report warns of a potential stagnation in the UK, citing challenges such as low productivity growth, skill shortages, and inadequate investment in research and development. The analysis recommends that UK higher education institutions create lifelong and personalised learning pathways for students, introduce modular learning to align curricula with the skills necessary for future innovation, and develop focused international research partnerships that address local industry needs to drive research innovation and boost economic growth.

Australia

Australia is another country recognised as a top performer in the index. The report shows that Australia’s higher education system and job market are well-positioned to develop and attract talent in key emerging industries. Regarded as a pioneer in future skills, Australia excels in Academic Readiness (98.9/100) and Future of Work (96.5/100). In addition, it earned a perfect score of 100.00 in Workforce Readiness, a sub-indicator of Economic Transformation that evaluates factors such as unemployment rate, talent availability, and the gross graduation ratio/higher education output.

The index itself

The index, which ranks the Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Singapore, and South Korea among the remaining top 10 countries, arrives at a time when the job market is increasingly perceived to be at risk from automation. “By 2050, University of Oxford economist Dr Carl Frey and Professor of machine learning Michael Osborne predict that at least 40% of current jobs will be lost to automation,” the report states. “By aligning curricula with the evolving needs of industries, especially in areas like AI, digital, and sustainable technologies, higher education institutions help to bridge the skills gap and mitigate workforce risk to support economic resilience and growth.”