Drive strategic impact with role-based skill insights
Discover how AI is augmenting and automating tasks across in-demand fields and shifting the skills needed to stay ahead.
About this report
Drawing on data from 6 million enterprise learners across nearly 7,000 organizations, the Job Skills Report 2026 guides you through the skills reshaping the global economy. This year’s analysis spans Data, IT, and Software & Product Development—and the Generative AI skills becoming essential for every role.
Preview the fastest-growing skills
Select a career area to see its top five fastest-growing skills. These insights draw from skills trends across the millions of global learners who access Coursera through nearly 7,000 business, government, and higher education institutions.
Data skills for the AI era
Data professionals are shifting focus from hands-on database work to managing AI layers that now drive analysis, increasingly relying on human judgment to validate results.
The fastest-growing data skills:
- Multimodal Prompts
- Critical Thinking
- AI Personalization
- Prompt Engineering
- Excel Formulas
AI sparks a mindset shift so significant that it can no longer live solely within technical teams. To truly transform a workforce, every function must build the skills to work confidently with AI tools. That’s how we democratize innovation across the enterprise.
Get the Job Skills Report 2026
Bridge the gap between technological potential and workforce capability with insights grounded in real learner behavior. Download the report to:
- Identify in-demand skills across key job functions.
- See how AI is impacting learning priorities for employees, students, and job seekers.
- Get learning recommendations tailored to skills trends.
The Job Skills Report 2026 analyzes learning data from more than 6 million enterprise learners to identify the future job skills organizations need most. It’s designed for HR and L&D leaders; data, IT, and software & product development leaders; higher education administrators; and government agencies seeking actionable insights on workforce skills trends and AI-driven transformation.
Institutions can use the report to benchmark learner capabilities, identify emerging job skills, and align skills development programs. With role-based insights across data, IT, and software development, plus generative AI insights that span all learners, businesses can align upskilling initiatives with strategic goals, higher education institutions can ensure curricula meet employer demands, and government agencies can design training programs that strengthen employment outcomes—all while responding to rapid changes driven by AI.
The report draws directly from real behavior across millions of active learners, giving businesses, higher education institutions, and government agencies evidence-based insights into workplace skills trends, AI adoption, and the fast-growing skills reshaping the global economy. This provides a clearer, more accurate picture of which skills drive performance and future workforce readiness.