IDC research synthesised by Workera found that over 90% of global enterprises face critical skills shortages tied to AI adoption, with an estimated $5.5 trillion in economic losses from global market performance. The report identifies a persistent gap between training supply and the demand for both specialized AI professionals and general AI literacy. Notably, access to training does not automatically translate into capability; organisations are failing to design training effectively for the world of AI.
Published by: IDC (global market research and analysis firm), synthesised by Workera (AI skills assessment platform)
Key finding: 90% of global enterprises report critical AI skills shortages; $5.5 trillion in potential market losses tied to readiness gaps; 80% of the global workforce needs AI upskilling by 2027.
Context: The scale of this gap reveals that the knowledge divide is not a marginal workforce issue but a structural economic crisis affecting most large organisations globally. The fact that training availability does not translate to capability suggests that the problem is not supply of courses but the quality, relevance, and systemic integration of AI education and training. Without fundamental changes to how organisations and education systems approach AI literacy, the gap will continue to widen and compound economic disadvantage.