5 Important Job Trends You Should Know in 2021/2022

Whether you are currently looking for a new job, considering a change or simply wondering about your future career development prospects, you need to know the main job trends for 2021/2022 on the employment market. After all, information is power, and knowing what’s likely to happen next will certainly help you prepare for the future and make better decisions regarding your professional advancement and success.

We have studied research reports by reputable firms and search results from job aggregators like Jooble, to understand the main trends for the next year and a half, and to provide you with this list, in the hopes that it will help you get a better perspective on what is happening on the employment market right now, and more importantly, what will follow.

Here are the five most important job trends in 2021/2022, in no particular order:

1.  The slowdown in salary increases will likely continue throughout 2022.

It is no secret that the pandemic has greatly affected operational budgets across all sectors of the economy, which in turn has led in to a more strict and rigorous control on current expenses. With salaries being the main spending chapter for most businesses out there, especially in the services sector, unsurprisingly management has turned its scrutinous gaze towards these expenses. And while the measures of cutting salaries and/or firing staff are somewhat restricted by regulations and civil law, the decision to stop all planned salary increases is a lot easier to implement and, in some cases, it represents the sensible thing to do.

What this means for you as an employee, is that you should not expect a raise in the near future, unless you get promoted or are trying to switch to another occupation.

2. Technology skills will matter even more.

The role of technology in the modern economy is undisputable. The most successful and prosperous sectors and businesses are precisely those that employ technology to a greater degree than others. Technology has already become somewhat ubiquitous at the workplace. Hence the demand for candidates who have their tech skills in order.

To be successful and earn serious revenue, you need to be part of the technology game, regardless of your current occupation and status. The degree to which you will develop your understanding and command of technology, is entirely up to you. However, keep in mind that getting hired without these skills will become increasingly challenging, and is already impossible in some sectors and occupations. The days of analogue are fading fast and we are living in the digital era, whether we like it or not.

3. Remote work will become increasingly widespread.

What first started as a means to work during lockdowns or while in isolation, without putting other people at risk, has now become a full-blown global phenomenon. As some researchers and specialists have previously predicted, employees are in no rush to return to their old routines that consisted of a daily commute and working on a 9-to-5 schedule all the time in a traditional office.

The truth of the matter is that most individuals are enjoying remote work, because it confers an unprecedented freedom to work from the comfort of your own home (or even while travelling) and to become the master of your work schedule. Moreover, remote work allows candidates to seek employment with companies from all over the world, while geography is not such a big issue anymore.

This trend will surely persist in the future, and it will shape the job market in ways never seen before.

4. Freelancing and the “gig economy” are here for the long run.

During the pandemic crisis, we have all witnessed a surge of freelancing jobs and occasional gigs. Before the crisis, this type of employment was mostly limited to several occupations and sectors of the economy, such as programming, graphic design, photography, copywriting, and translations. But in the past two years, freelancing has certainly gained momentum and has already claimed considerable territories in sectors like food delivery, transportation and even home improvement.

Once both individuals and businesses have gotten a taste of freelancing and its advantages, many will be reluctant to return to classic full-time employment. Backed up by technology, this will probably become the main employment model of the future.

5. Demographics are shifting… again.

Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, Generation Z has entered the scene and is changing the landscape rapidly. Even though its oldest representatives are only 23 years old, it already makes up for a quarter of the global workforce. Furthermore, this figure will increase to 40 percent by the same time next year. The corresponding shifts in workforce and workplace mentality are sure to follow. On average, Gen Z employees are very tech-savvy and conscientious about work ethics, social issues, and the environment. We can only begin to imagine the changes this will produce on employment, but one can safely assume that it will increasingly become a “individual comes first” and a “environment and society come first” job market, with a strong focus on modern technology.

Also on the topic of demographics, the pandemic lockdowns and travel restrictions have caused work immigration to slow down considerably, even grinding to a halt in many instances. This has forced employers to search locally for workers that they would normally seek elsewhere. Some specialists argue that this trend will persist and will lead to a more nation-based approach to employment, which will reverse workforce globalization and diversity in some regions, for better or for worse.