A city’s ability to entice talent is one of the most powerful driving forces behind its success.
While hustle attracts bustle, urban hubs also need the right infrastructure and education to support future generations’ quests to realise their dreams and ambitions.
But what happens when the needs of these valuable talent pools undergo a rapid evolution? Or when the job roles and career paths of the past and present start to seismically shift as we look ahead to the future?
According to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 Future of Jobs report, forecasts for labour evolution between 2020 and 2025 predict that around 85 million jobs will be automated by next year, but 97 million new roles will have emerged. The report also predicts that 65% of children entering primary school – many of them this month with the start of a new school year – will end up working in jobs that don’t currently exist.
So, how can cities position themselves to better furnish the next generation with what they want and need from their would-be formative stomping grounds?
From being a leading light in AI to boasting a new generation of climate innovation hubs and from trailblazing in cybersecurity to pioneering in renewables, here are five global cities well-positioned to capitalise on the job markets of the future.
Boston
Best for AI
Why? Education, education, education plus location, location, location. Boston is just a 12-minute walk from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the world’s best university for studying computer science, the basis for all things AI and machine learning. This is according to the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject. There is, as you would expect with any education-based league, some jostling for position across rankings—particularly among the US-based colleges, with Stamford and Carnegie Melon giving MIT a run for its money. But what makes Boston stand out is the infrastructure and network it can offer students during and, perhaps more crucially, after their academic tenure.
Highlights… Described as where creativity meets technology, Boston was named the top US city to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in 2023 and again in 2024 by the US Chamber of Commerce. In terms of AI specifically, the city is home to a number of key businesses, including predictive workflow company DataRobot and many others, with a more specific focus on how AI and machine learning can be used to streamline work in the cybersecurity, life sciences and healthcare sectors. In 2023, the wider New England region reported $2.3bn of investment across 213 AI-related deals.
London
Best for Clean and ClimateTech
Why? Ranked one of the top three cities in the world for attracting CleanTech and ClimateTech companies alongside Boston and San Fransisco in research by Savills, London’s ClimateTech sector alone raised $3.5bn in 2023, according to data from London & Partners. This was up from $2.2bn the year before. The sector also attracted 23% of foreign direct investment into London last year.
Highlights… While the massive £8.5bn Earls Court redevelopment looks set to be years in the making, its dedication to clean and climate technology and innovation is not. The project will be home to a workplace ecosystem supporting start-ups, scale-ups, and multinationals in this sector during construction and beyond. London has also proven itself as a strong growth location for climate and clean tech start-ups, including Climate X, which raised $18m to support plans for global expansion in an investment round led by Google Ventures earlier this year.
Washington, DC
Best for Cybersecurity
Why? Washington DC is a hotspot for this growing sector, given its role as an HQ location for government agencies employing teams of cybersecurity professionals. In the wake of exponential digital advancements, cybersecurity risks pose more threats to businesses, buildings, governments and global economies than ever before. And those risks are only heading in one direction — particularly in the face of AI. It is widely anticipated that humans, not bots, will be needed in increasingly large numbers to protect against future attacks, with the requirement for information security analysts expected to grow by 35% over the next decade.
Highlights… Currently boasting one of the largest concentrations of ethical hackers and information assurers in the world, Washington DC is predicted to see a 41% increase in cyber-related employment by 2028, according to the Washington DC Economic Partnership. While many will likely be brought on to large government projects, the city is also a prime location for private firms looking to hire cybersecurity professionals, including BAE and PwC.
Beijing
Best for Renewable Energy
Why? With China’s electricity grid gearing up for an unprecedented and unparalleled investment of $800bn over the next six years to support the country’s moves from coal power to renewable sources, Beijing looks set to be a prime location for future talent looking to work in the renewable energy sector. An industry growing the world over, the opportunities could be particularly abundant in Beijing thanks to China’s huge commitment to future-proofing its energy consumption. Put simply, most of the world’s new renewable capacity, 63% to be exact, currently comes from China, according to the 2023 data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Highlights… Home to some of the biggest renewables companies in the world, including Sinohydro Corporation, Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy and UPC Renewables, the city offers a wealth of career opportunities. And with China now the world’s leading investment location for wind, solar and nuclear power, according to the International Energy Agency (IRA), those opportunities show no signs of slowing down.
Los Angeles
Best for Gaming
Why? Video game engineers are expected to see a job growth of 21% by 2028, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2023 Future of Jobs report, and LA is likely to be the city where they continue to flock. The city is the HQ location for some of the biggest gaming companies in the world, including PlayStation, Mythical Games, Riot Games and Nintendo America. More widely, California is considered the world’s gaming capital, hosting 900 active gaming companies employing over 30,000 people.
Highlights… It is not just the abundance of big-name gaming companies in LA that draw—and will likely continue drawing—widespread talent in this growing sector. It is the city’s technology kudos, full stop. Silicon Beach, the Westside region of the city, is home to more than 500 tech companies, including Snapchat, Tinder, Google and Netflix, to name a few. The city’s creative culture is also a huge pull. That and the fact that, according to Glassdoor, the average salary for a software engineer in LA is $175,000.
