8 Widely-Recognized Skills That Reduce Unemployment Risk

Originally Published: November 3, 2025

Thanks to the rise of AI, the risk of becoming unemployed in today’s economy is higher than ever. Many people are worried about their job security and how they’re going to survive going forward. Because of this, it is a good idea to learn widely-recognized skills that employers always want. These are tasks that AI can’t easily automate, or are required to bring AI systems to fruition. Once you have some of these skills, you put yourself in a much better position. Even if one company is downsizing its workforce due to automation, you can still go to another and earn a pretty decent income. So, what are these skills to drive business growth? 

Leadership And People Management

Even in ten years’ time, companies are still going to have people working for them. While AI might grow in capability significantly between now and then, the role of humans will likely remain. 

Because of this, brands will need people with leadership and interpersonal management skills. These individuals will be essential for keeping workers on track and ensuring they do what they’re supposed to do. That very human requirement is unlikely to go away in the near future. 

Employees with soft skills like these are also less likely to be laid off in general. Managers prefer to keep them around, simply because they get on so well with everyone and they’re low-risk. 

AI And Machine Learning

Of course, AI and machine learning skills are also high up on this list for obvious reasons. AI can’t work for itself yet, so it needs people who can implement it, and that’s where engineering skills come in handy. 

Only a small fraction of people really know how to use AI right now, and an even smaller number understand how to develop it. Because of this, employers are desperately looking for people with the right skills to enable them to bring projects to fruition. 

If you can demonstrate specific skills in this area, you can often increase your value tremendously. You’re much more likely to find a job if you get laid off, or be allowed to stay in the one you already have. 

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is another area you’ll want to get into. If you are able to demonstrate expertise in this area, you can often get way ahead of the competition. 

The reason for this is the sheer level of demand for people with these skills right now. Companies know that they need to protect themselves against outside threats and hackers, and so they need employees who can offer defenses that go beyond passive software. 

If you can show you have these skills, you’ll often go a long way. Companies will be less willing to get rid of you, and you’ll always have the option to go elsewhere if you want. 

According to reports, unemployment among cybersecurity professionals is less than 1%. That’s even lower than it is for AI developers and coders (who are also in high demand right now). 

Forklift Truck Driving

If you have forklift certification, you’re also in a really good position. While companies like Amazon are trying to automate a lot of this stuff, most companies aren’t. 

At the same time, the demand for warehouse space is increasing. Thousands of firms need people who can drive forklift trucks and move items around, ready for transport and distribution. Again, if you are laid off by one company, it is often trivial to find work with another in a similar or near-identical role. 

Cloud Computing

You might also want to look into cloud computing, another growth area. What’s nice about this sector is that it isn’t dependent on AI. There’s still a lot of demand for it from conventional software firms who want to offer their products over the internet as a service. 

Cloud computing giants like Amazon and Google hire thousands of people. However, there are also more niche opportunities, giving you a lot of choice. Even small server farms need skilled professionals who can manage the racks and keep energy costs to a minimum. 

Data Analysis

Another option is to build out your data analysis skills. Again, companies want these because they enable them to run better ads and marketing campaigns. 

Again, the unemployment rate for people with data analysis skills is negligible. Most of these professionals are constantly in work and, many times, simply have too much of it. 

If you have these skills, you’ll likely always be in demand by companies across your industry. You also have the ability to pivot, since you’re not locking yourself down to a single vertical. Virtually every type of brand needs people with significant data skills. 

Digital Marketing

As trite as it may sound, proper digital marketing skills are also highly prized. Brands want employees with these to help them win in the online economy. 

Digital marketing isn’t something that can be automated right now, and it is unlikely to be automated in the future. In fact, given the rise of AI slop, more and more companies are coming to realize that there’s no substitute for human input. If there isn’t a person behind the content, it’s usually not worth consuming. 

Digital marketers also have to join a lot of dots. Perhaps there’s an AI that can do A/B testing, but it can’t manually post or edit ads. That still requires a human in the loop. 

Healthcare Skills

Changing direction slightly, you might also want to explore whether you can develop proper healthcare skills. Again, getting into nursing or medical coding can be a great way to increase your income and reduce the risk of being made redundant. 

The reasons for this should be fairly obvious. The demand for healthcare is exploding, and regulations mean that human staff are unlikely to be replaced by robots (even if it was technically feasible). 

Furthermore, people are aging. Because of this, the rise in the number of people required by the healthcare system will be enormous. More people than ever will be involved in simply keeping the population healthy. 

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Special thanks to the following source(s) for the image(s) used in this article:

• Pexels – CC0 License

• Pexels – CC0 License

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