What are the most in-demand skills for professionals?

Business strategy and management skills have emerged as some of the most popular skills demanded by professionals as they seek to grow in their careers, according to the latest data from Udemy.

Udemy's Global Workplace Learning Index revealed that marketing strategy skills emerged as the most in-demand professional skill in the third quarter after seeing a 26% increase.

The data is based on thousands of Udemy Business customers worldwide, where the consumption of courses in the Udemy Business collection was compared from the second quarter to the third quarter of 2024.

Other business strategy and management skills that were also in demand among professionals include:

• Business communication (+19%)
• Product management (+15%)
• Project management (+12%)
• Emotional intelligence (+12%)

Udemy attributed the rise of emotional intelligence to organisations' efforts to foster better leadership skills and interpersonal dynamics in the workplace.

The report also indicated that professionals' desire to maintain a work-life balance while also being competitive was among their priorities in the third quarter. Time management skills saw a 12% increase in demand compared to the second quarter, according to the report.

In-demand tech skills

Meanwhile, generative AI skills also saw an increase in demand (+25%) in the third quarter, as the emerging technology begins taking over some tasks and functions in the workplace.

"Today, professionals and organisations worldwide understand the need to upskill quickly to stay ahead of cutting-edge tools and topics, enabling career development and better business outcomes," said Scott Rogers, Senior Vice President of Instructor and Content Strategy at Udemy, in a statement.

"SHRM's State of the Workplace report revealed that 53% of organisations are prioritising upskilling and reskilling employees to improve productivity, particularly in response to AI and an ageing workforce."