Understanding effective public policies to increase talent availability, 2025-2030, is crucial for future economic stability. Employers globally point to specific government interventions to enhance workforce access. This analysis highlights policies considered most impactful by businesses. It focuses on strategies to develop and broaden the talent pool over the next five years.
This section outlines the primary public policy measures employers consider most effective for enhancing talent availability by 2030.
Employers globally identify several top policies to address talent shortages. Funding for reskilling and upskilling is the most crucial, cited by 55% of respondents. Directly providing reskilling and upskilling opportunities also ranks high, with 52% agreement. Improving public education systems has risen significantly in priority. It now ranks third, highlighted by 47% of employers. This shows a strong demand for sustained public investment in skills development.
| Policy Measure | Perceived Potential (2025–2030) |
| Funding for Reskilling and Upskilling | 55% of employers believe increased public funding for reskilling and upskilling initiatives will improve workforce readiness and talent availability. |
| Provision of Reskilling and Upskilling | 52% of employers see direct delivery of reskilling and upskilling programmes as an effective policy measure for addressing future skills gaps. |
| Improving Public Education Systems | 47% of employers consider strengthening public education systems essential for building a skilled workforce and supporting long-term talent development. |
This part discusses how the importance of certain public policy interventions has changed since 2023.
Some policy measures have seen shifts in their perceived importance. Wage-setting flexibility moved to fifth place globally, up from sixth in 2023, with 38% recognizing its value. Conversely, wage subsidies experienced the biggest decline. They moved from third in 2023 to eighth this year, with only 26% seeing them as critical. Flexibility in hiring and firing practices also dropped two places to fourth, supported by 44% of employers. Despite global trends, wage subsidies remain a top policy in countries like Türkiye and Morocco.
This section explores policy interventions focused on expanding the available talent pool through broader changes.
Companies are increasingly exploring policy interventions to broaden the talent pool. Changes to labour laws related to remote work are a priority for 36% of employers. Demand for this is strong in Sub-Saharan Africa and the finance industry. Changes to immigration laws are less emphasized overall (26%). However, they are important in specific sectors like consumer goods and hospitality. A quarter of respondents also highlight changes to pension schemes and retirement ages (25%). This policy is more favoured in Eastern Asia, where ageing workforces are a major concern.