"Shortage of 32,400 AI and Big Data Professionals by 2027"

Results of Workforce Supply and Demand Forecast in Key New Technology Fields

It is projected that there will be a shortage of 32,400 new workers in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data over the next five years until 2027.

On the 31st, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training held the 4th New Technology Workforce Supply and Demand Forum and announced the workforce supply and demand forecast results for four major new technology fields: AI, big data, cloud, and nano, through 2027.

This result was derived by using a workforce projection model based on industry-specific surveys conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to estimate workforce demand, and analyzing workforce supply based on the current status and plans for workforce training by the government, private sector, and universities. It forecasts the demand, supply, and supply-demand gap of new workers by skill level (entry, intermediate, advanced) over the next five years (2023?2027). Skill levels are classified by education level into entry-level (associate degree or below), intermediate-level (bachelor’s degree), and advanced-level (master’s or doctoral degree or above).

According to the forecast, the AI field is expected to face a shortage of 12,800 workers by 2027. The use of AI is expanding across various sectors such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and services, and with the international emphasis on the importance of AI technology, the shortage of advanced-level workers is expected to worsen due to concerns about the overseas outflow of high-level talent.

The cloud field, where workforce demand is increasing across operations and development, is expected to face a shortage of 18,800 workers. The spread of cloud services such as servers and software and continuous market growth are intensifying workforce shortages, especially in both operational personnel for server management and maintenance and system development personnel. The big data field, where demand for 'converged data specialists' is rapidly increasing, is expected to face a shortage of 19,600 workers, and the nano field, where demand for 'applied technology personnel' is growing due to advanced industry growth, is expected to face a shortage of 8,400 workers.

Kim Seong-ho, Director of Employment Policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, stated, "The government will actively reflect the new technology workforce supply and demand forecast results in the scale and content of government training projects such as K-Digital Training, and will work with related ministries through the pan-ministerial 'Advanced Industry Talent Development Task Force (TF)' to nurture talent in new technology fields." He added, "Since workforce shortages caused by talent outflow are even more severe for small and startup companies, we will actively support companies to create suitable working conditions and organizational cultures for young workers on their own."

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