Economic pressures propel workers to reskill | edX survey

By: Lyss Welding, Edited by: Joey Morris

Published: June 2, 2025

Amid swift technological advancements and increasing economic uncertainty, U.S. workers see a clear need to adapt and rebuild their skillsets.

In a recent edX survey of 1,000 adults who are currently working or seeking work, 65% say the current state of the economy has them considering upskilling or reskilling. The survey defined "upskilling" as improving one's current professional skillset and "reskilling" as learning an entirely new skillset.

Among the 931 currently employed adults surveyed, about half say they will need to begin upskilling (53%) or reskilling (52%) within the next six months to stay employed.

Workers across industries report varying levels of pressure to upskill or reskill, with those in the technology sector feeling it most acutely.

About 3 in 4 tech workers (including those in software, IT, and telecommunications) say they'll need to start upskilling (74%) or reskilling (76%) within the next six months to stay employed.

The great reskilling has begun

Seventy percent of workers say additional training improves their chances of receiving a salary increase at their current job. The majority of workers are doing just that: Fifty-seven percent report they are currently participating in additional education and training opportunities to upskill. In addition, 42% say they are currently training to reskill.

Roughly half of workers (46%) expect to increase their spending on professional development this year compared to last, with 56% planning to spend over $1,000 on training and education.

Fifty-seven percent of workers plan to spend four hours a week or more on additional education and training, with 29% planning to commit nine hours a week or more.

Respondents identified AI and machine learning / AI prompting, data analysis and visualization, and executive leadership as the most important technical skills for their career advancement.

Fifty-four percent of workers believe AI-related skills are very or extremely important for remaining competitive in their careers. Despite this, only 4% are currently pursuing AI-related skills, with 37% of workers saying they are "very likely" and 65% saying that they are at least "somewhat likely" to pursue AI-related education or training in the next six months.

For many workers, continued education and training are nothing new. Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) — including 82% of managers and supervisors — say workers need to pursue additional education or training at least once a year to stay competitive in their field.

Additionally, the majority of workers (70%) say upskilling is important to ensure their job security and job satisfaction (69%).

However, 2025's economic uncertainty and the pace of technological change have workers doubling down on skill-building. Leaders can encourage and empower their employees to upskill in an AI-driven world.

Methodology

This survey was conducted from May 6-13, 2025, and was fielded by Pure Spectrum. Survey participants included 1,002 adult respondents nationwide who were currently employed (93%) or seeking work (7%). Ninety percent of respondents were ages 18-60. The respondents for the survey were screened by various quality checks, including systems like Relevant ID, and responses were manually reviewed to ensure consistency and accuracy.