how many knowledge workers are there in the world

Full Answer

What percentage of employees are knowledge workers?

This is up from 17% of employees in 2019. Gartner defines knowledge workers are those who are involved in knowledge-intensive occupations, such as writers, accountants, or engineers.

What is the role of a knowledge worker?

Knowledge worker: Someone who generates value through their knowledge. Globally, the world has more than 1 billion knowledge workers. They are essential to the global economy, as their roles have grown and adapted over the last decade. When Covid-19 forced a global shift to remote work, knowledge workers became more important than ever before.

What are the different types of knowledge work professions?

Most people worked in traditional types of knowledge work professions such as those of teachers, ministers, and writers. The growth of industrialization introduced new types of workers who used information to make a living. These workers included investors, managers, and consultants.

What is an know-worker?

Knowledge workers are differentiated from other workers by their ability to solve complex problems or to develop new products or services in their fields of expertise. Since the term was coined, the number of knowledge workers continues to grow as organizations move toward a collaborative workplace that gives more autonomy to their employees.

How many knowledge workers are there globally?

one billion knowledge workersThere are currently about one billion knowledge workers across the globe whose jobs specifically require them to combine action with a level of domain expertise—their knowledge—to generate value and make critical decisions.

What percent of workers are knowledge workers?

60%There are approximately 100 million knowledge workers in the US (sometimes referred to as “white collar” workers), representing about 60% of the labor force.

How many information workers are there?

1.25 billionYes, you read that right. There were 1.25 billion global information workers in 2018 — people that use a smartphone, PC, or tablet for work an hour more per day in a typical week.

How many Americans are knowledge workers?

100 millionGartner pegged the number of knowledge workers at over 100 million in the U.S. and over 1 billion globally.

Are doctors knowledge workers?

Knowledge workers are also comprised of pharmacists, public accountants, engineers, architects, lawyers, physicians, scientists, financial analysts, and design thinkers. Knowledge workers are said to think for a living, unlike manual laborers who are paid for performing physical tasks.

How many white collar workers are there in the world?

2021 FACT SHEET. Professionals were 59.8 percent of the total workforce in 2020, with 88.4 million people working across a wide variety of occupations. 6.31 million union members worked in professional occupations in 2020, an all-time high.

How many IT professionals are there in the world?

The worldwide full-time employment in the ICT sector is projected to reach 55.3 million in 2020 (pre-corona estimation), an increase of 3.9 percent over 2019. Software developer/engineer, user support specialist and systems analyst are three major job roles in the ICT industry.

What is a global knowledge worker?

getty. Knowledge worker: Someone who generates value through their knowledge. Globally, the world has more than 1 billion knowledge workers. They are essential to the global economy, as their roles have grown and adapted over the last decade.

Is a teacher a knowledge worker?

Peter Drucker described the Knowledge Worker as someone who possessed, “considerable theoretical knowledge and learning…” So I ask, would the typical classroom teacher meet the definition of a knowledge worker as described by Drucker? Based on the above definition the answer is yes.

What percentage of tech workers are remote?

48% of tech workers said they are now fully remote, up from 22% before the onset of the pandemic. 85% of tech workers said they either work fully remotely or are following a hybrid model.

What is the knowledge age?

The Age of Knowledge emphasizes that the ongoing transformations of knowledge, both within universities and for society more generally, must be understood as a reflection of the larger changes in the constitutive social structures within which they are invariably produced, translated and reproduced.

How fast is remote work growing?

WWR has seen consistent year-over-year growth in remote jobs, with the number of jobs posted growing by an average of 30% from 2014 to 2019. Climbing from 848 jobs in 2014 to 3144 in 2019.

How many information technology jobs are there in the US?

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Information technology (IT) employment in the United States reached an estimated 12.1 million workers in 2019, capping a decade in which the country's tech-related workforce expanded by 2.3 million jobs, according to Cyberstates 2020™, the definitive guide to the U.S. ...

How many IT employees are there?

AUG. 16, 2016 — The number of information technology (IT) workers now stands at 4.6 million, compared with just 450,000 in 1970 according to a new report from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. This upsurge means that IT workers now represent 2.9 percent of the U.S. labor force.

How many office workers are there?

There are over 863,953 office workers currently employed in the United States.

How many blue collar workers are there in the world?

[1] The number of skilled workers in the trades rose from 1.5 million to 1.65 million, while the number of unskilled workers in this sector fell from 1.06 million to 1 million. Drivers (HGV drivers, delivery personnel, public transport drivers, etc.)

What is knowledge worker?

Most notably, a knowledge worker is someone who can learn and adapt to a shifting workplace.

Why are knowledge workers important?

They are essential to the global economy, as their roles have grown and adapted over the last decade. When Covid-19 forced a global shift to remote work, knowledge workers became more important than ever before.

Why is communication important in the digital workplace?

As mentioned previously, knowledge workers highly value communication to fuel their ideas and work more productively. However, you must walk a fine line here. One of the biggest challenges facing the digital workplace is the overabundance of technology, but it's also one of the most essential areas for growth. Therefore, key areas to develop in your digital workplace include intranets, digital workflows and other communication tools that streamline tasks.

What is the challenge of running a digital workplace?

A significant challenge of running a digital workplace smoothly is hiring and retaining quality knowledge workers. How are you keeping employees engaged and happy? Knowledge workers from younger generations are more likely to leave if their workplace isn't a good fit.

What was Drucker's role in the workplace?

He used philosophy and data to define management, business and the role of knowledge in the workplace.

Who coined the term "knowledge work"?

Back in 1959, business consultant Peter Drucker first coined the term "knowledge work" in his book The Landmarks of Tomorrow. He spoke about it again in 1992 in an essay for the Harvard Business Review, detailing how "sharp transformations" have occurred every decade in Western history.

Why should remote workers use technology?

They should improve company knowledge sharing so that teams can access vital information digitally — and automatically. Most importantly, your digital technologies should allow your remote workers to improve productivity.

How are knowledge workers different from other workers?

Knowledge workers are differentiated from other workers by their ability to solve complex problems or to develop new products or services in their fields of expertise. Since the term was coined, the number of knowledge workers has continued to grow as organizations move toward a collaborative workplace that gives more autonomy to their employees. Knowledge workers receive high salaries that reflect the complex nature of their work and their relative independence in relation to the work process. They focus more on quality than quantity, and their supervisors should assign them tasks based on their interests and goals, as this will influence the quality of the completed project.

When did knowledge workers start?

Management writers such as Fritz Machlup and Peter Drucker first came up with the term “knowledge workers” in the late 1950s and early 1960s. During that time, the number of information workers began to outnumber the number of workers engaged in manual jobs. Most people worked in traditional types of knowledge work professions such as those ...

Why is knowledge important in a job?

The shift from blue-collar jobs to knowledge-based positions presents new opportunities for people aiming to grow their talents and expand their creativity. Knowledge workers enjoy greater job mobility, and they can work in different time zones, at home, in airport lounges and coffee shops. Employers recognize them as assets of the company who possess unique talents and skills, rather than as ordinary employees who perform repetitious tasks. The nature of the knowledge work allows the workers to gain leadership skills since they often work as their own bosses and enjoy greater freedom to perform new tasks every day.

What type of work did most people do in the 1950s?

Most people worked in traditional types of knowledge work professions such as those of teachers, ministers, and writers. The growth of industrialization introduced new types of workers who used information to make a living. These workers included investors, managers, and consultants. In the late 1950s, Fritz Machlup used statistical information ...

Why should knowledge workers use analytical reasoning?

Knowledge workers use analytical reasoning and relevant judgment to address customer service issues and new situations.

What is a white collar worker?

Before the adoption of the term “knowledge worker,” Upton Sinclair coined the phrase “white-collar worker” to refer to workers who performed administrative and clerical roles. These workers wore white-collared shirts that distinguished them from the blue-collar workers who performed manual tasks in the workplace.

What is knowledge based work?

Knowledge workers undergo several years of formal training to master the information needed to perform certain specialized roles. At a minimum, most knowledge-based positions require a college degree and their learning process is continuous even after being hired. For example, a pharmacist requires factual and theoretical knowledge of various medications before they can dispense medications and advise patients on the use of prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. Likewise, a sales manager must possess knowledge of his/her customers’ preferences and factual information about the products sold by the company.

What is a knowledge worker?

Gartner defines knowledge workers are those who are involved in knowledge-intensive occupations, such as writers, accountants, or engineers. Gartner defines a remote worker as an employee working away from their company, government, or customer site at least one full day a week (hybrid workers) or who work fully from home (fully remote workers).

Which country has the highest number of remote workers?

India and China will produce some of the largest numbers of remote workers, but their overall penetration rates will remain relatively low with 30% of workers in India being remote and 28% of workers in China working remote.

What will be the most remote workers in 2022?

The U.S. will lead in terms of remote workers in 2022, accounting for 53% of the U.S. workforce. Across Europe, U.K. remote workers will represent 52% of its workforce in 2022, while remote workers in Germany and France will account for 37% and 33%, respectively. India and China will produce some of the largest numbers of remote workers, ...

How many people will be working remotely in 2021?

By the end of 2021, 51% of all knowledge workers worldwide are expected to be working remotely, up from 27% of knowledge workers in 2019, according to Gartner, Inc. Gartner also estimates that remote workers will represent 32% of all employees worldwide by the end of 2021. This is up from 17% of employees in 2019.

Will social and collaboration tools continue to be a must have?

Social and collaboration tools will continue to be a “must have” which will lead the worldwide social software and collaboration revenue market to increase 17.1% in 2021. In terms of connectivity, many organizations had to change and adapt many IT approaches to ensure business continuity among their remote workers.

Will hybrid workforce increase demand for PCs?

A hybrid workforce will continue to increase the demand for PCs and tablets. In 2021, PC and tablet shipments will exceed 500 million units for the first time in history, highlighting the demand across both business and consumer markets. Organizations also deployed cloud to quickly enable remote workers. Gartner forecasts worldwide end-user ...

How Do Knowledge Workers Spend Their Time?

In 2013, knowledge workers spent two-thirds of their time either “managing across” in meetings, often with many colleagues, or doing “desk-based work” on their own. Externally focused work (e.g. talking to customers), managing down (coaching and supporting subordinates) and managing up (interacting with the boss and other senior people) all got very little time, while training and personal development got almost none.

How much time do knowledge workers spend on meetings?

In this 2013 HBR article, we presented research showing that knowledge workers spend two-thirds of their time in meetings or doing desk-based work, even though they found these activities mostly tiresome. We proposed some steps people could take to shift time to more worthwhile activities, such as talking to customers or coaching subordinates. Of course, we all get stuck in patterns of activity reinforced by the routines of office life.

What happens to the number of tasks rated tiresome during lockdown?

We rate the things we do as valuable to our employer and to ourselves. The number of tasks rated as tiresome drops from 27% to 12%, and the number we could readily offload to others drops from 41% to 27%.

What did researchers learn about lockdown?

They learned that lockdown helps people focus on the tasks that really matter. They spent 12% less time...

Why are knowledge workers more motivated during lockdown?

Overall, the findings here are consistent with the notion that knowledge workers are more intrinsically motivated — and taking more personal ownership — during lockdown, in large part because of the increased degrees of freedom they are getting.

Why did time spent on self education go up during lockdown?

While time spent on self-education went up during lockdown, this was mostly due to online webinar and course attendance — which helps build knowledge but doesn’t encourage the active experimentation and personal reflection that help us really grow.

Do knowledge workers have a job description?

While most knowledge workers have a written job description somewhere, it is well understood that they take responsibility for choosing what to do and when to do it based on a variety of factors , including tasks outside of their formal role when it appears sensible to do so.

How many clusters are there in the labor market?

Global labor markets fall into eight clusters, each distinctly positioned in terms of age profile and educational attainment.

How many older people will be in the labor force?

Aging will likely add 360 million older people to the world’s pool of those not participating in the labor force, including 38 million college-educated workers, whose skills will already be in short supply. Global labor markets fall into eight clusters, each distinctly positioned in terms of age profile and educational attainment.

How did the labor market change over the past three decades?

Over the past three decades, as developing economies industrialized and began to compete in world markets, a global labor market started taking shape. As more than one billion people entered the labor force, a massive movement from “farm to factory” sharply accelerated growth of productivity and per capita GDP in China and other traditionally rural nations, helping to bring hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. To raise productivity, developed economies invested in labor-saving technologies and tapped global sources of low-cost labor.

What are the challenges of the global labor market?

The dynamics of the global labor market will make these challenges even more difficult. The population in China , as well as in many advanced economies, is aging, reducing the growth rate of the global labor supply; most of the additions to the global labor force will occur in India and the “young” developing economies of Africa and South Asia. Aging will likely add 360 million older people to the world’s pool of those not participating in the labor force, including 38 million college-educated workers, whose skills will already be in short supply.

How many fewer workers will be needed in 2020?

Based on current trends in population, education, and labor demand, the report projects that by 2020 the global economy could face the following hurdles: 38 million to 40 million fewer workers with tertiary education (college or postgraduate degrees) than employers will need, or 13 percent of the demand for such workers.

Will the world have too many workers without the skills to land full time employment?

Even then, in the next two decades, the world is likely to have too many workers without the skills to land full-time employment . In both developing and advanced economies, policy makers will need to find ways not only to produce high-skilled workers but also to create more jobs for those who aren’t as highly educated.

Is demand for high skilled labor growing faster than supply?

In advanced economies, demand for high-skill labor is now growing faster than supply, while demand for low-skill labor remains weak. Labor’s overall share of income, or the share of national income that goes to worker compensation, has fallen, and income inequality is growing as lower-skill workers—including 75 million young people—experience ...

History of Knowledge Workers

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