The Future of Work: Why Neurodivergent Talent is Key to the 2025 – 2030 Workforce

by Liselle Appleby, GAIN

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 offers a clear message: the world of work is transforming faster than ever. Driven by technological change, demographic shifts, economic uncertainty, and the green transition, employers across industries are rethinking what skills and mindsets will be essential for success by 2030.

Amidst this transformation, one opportunity stands out as both urgent and underleveraged — the employment of neurodivergent people. The report identifies resilience, flexibility, creativity, analytical thinking, and curiosity as among the fastest-growing and most in-demand skills globally. These traits align closely with the natural strengths of many neurodivergent individuals, offering a powerful way for employers to future-proof their organisations and close widening skills gaps.

A Workforce in Transition

The report, based on insights from over 1,000 global employers representing 14 million workers, forecasts that 22% of existing jobs will be transformed by 2030, with 170 million new jobs created and 92 million displaced. This net growth of 7% highlights significant opportunities for talent — but also underscores a critical challenge: ensuring the right people have the right skills.

Employers identify skill gaps as the single biggest barrier to business transformation, with 63% of companies viewing them as a major challenge. To respond, 85% plan to prioritise upskilling their workforce, and 70% intend to hire staff with new skill sets. This strategic shift requires organisations to widen their view of talent and build more inclusive approaches to hiring, training, and progression.

The Neurodiversity Advantage

Neurodivergent people — including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and other cognitive differences — represent a significant, yet often overlooked, segment of the workforce. Their strengths frequently align with the very skills the Future of Jobs Report highlights as essential for the coming decade.

• Analytical and systems thinking: Many neurodivergent individuals excel at pattern recognition, data analysis, and logical reasoning — vital in technology-related roles such as AI, big data, and cybersecurity. These skills are especially important in the realm of AI, where sense-checking (Human-Eye) is an imperative.

• Creative problem-solving: Divergent thinking enables innovative solutions, particularly valuable in sectors undergoing rapid transformation or dealing with complex global challenges such as climate change and automation.

• Resilience and adaptability: Navigating systems that were not designed with neurodivergence in mind often fosters deep resilience and problem-solving agility.

• Focus and precision: Attention to detail and sustained focus are essential for quality control, programming, and resource management — all identified as growth areas in the report.

Harnessing these abilities can help businesses not only fill skill gaps but also strengthen their capacity for innovation, critical thinking, and long-term sustainability.

Aligning Inclusion with Future Growth

As industries evolve under the pressure of automation, AI integration, and green transition, organisations must look beyond traditional recruitment models. The Future of Jobs Report highlights that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have become more widespread, with 83% of employers now reporting such strategies — up from 67% in 2023. Yet, tapping into the neurodivergent talent pool remains an area of enormous untapped potential.

By embracing neuroinclusive hiring practices and providing appropriate workplace adjustments, employers can align their inclusion strategies directly with the skill demands of the next decade. Initiatives such as flexible work design, tailored onboarding, and training managers in neuroinclusion not only improve recruitment outcomes but also support the wellbeing and retention of all employees — another priority identified by 64% of surveyed organisations.

A Practical Response to Global Trends

Each of the major forces shaping the 2030 labour market — from demographic shifts to geoeconomic tensions — can benefit from neurodiverse perspectives:

• Technological change: As AI and automation accelerate, the need for human creativity and analytical thinking becomes even more critical. Neurodivergent thinkers often thrive in these environments.

• Ageing populations: With healthcare and social care roles growing, neurodivergent professionals bring empathy, focus, and systematic approaches that can enhance care outcomes.

• Green transition: The need for innovative solutions in renewable energy and sustainability demands precisely the kind of out-of-the-box thinking neurodivergent employees provide.

• Economic uncertainty: Organisations that value adaptability and resilience — both hallmark traits within the neurodivergent community — are better positioned to withstand disruption.

Building the Workforce of Tomorrow

The Future of Jobs Report 2025 predicts that by 2030, 59% of the global workforce will require training, yet 11% risk being left behind without access to upskilling opportunities. Neurodivergent workers are disproportionately represented among those at risk of exclusion. Addressing this gap is both a moral imperative and an economic opportunity.

GAIN’s mission to radically improve the employment prospects of neurodivergent people is perfectly aligned with the future of work outlined by the World Economic Forum. Through partnerships with more than 45 employers, we help organisations recognise, recruit, and retain neurodivergent talent — building workplaces that are resilient, innovative, and ready to respond to global change. For individuals, GAIN membership offers a supportive community where neurodivergent professionals in insurance and investment can connect, share experiences, and grow their careers. Those seeking new opportunities to enter or pivot in a new career can access tailored guidance through our Careers Club and dedicated jobs board.

As we look towards 2030, the message is clear: the future of work depends on diverse thinking. Employing neurodivergent people is not simply an act of inclusion — it’s a strategic investment in the skills and mindsets the world now needs most.