In 2021, America Succeeds established and popularized the term “durable skills” with our landmark High Demand for Durable Skills report, the first analysis to put hard data behind what employers were asking for. Our 2025 update, Durable by Design, analyzed 76 million job postings and found that demand has only grown: 76% of all roles now require at least one durable skill, up 13 points since our original report, and eight of the ten most-requested skills in today’s job postings are durable skills. Together, these two reports anchor six years of research into the nation’s most comprehensive body of evidence on durable skills.
In Durable by Design, we partnered with Lightcast to provide an updated analysis of more than 75 million job postings to understand how demand for durable skills has evolved. The findings are striking: 76% of all roles now require at least one durable skill, and 47% call for three or more, a 13% increase since our 2021 report. Skills like communication, leadership, adaptability, and problem solving appear consistently across industries, occupations, and regions, and as AI automates routine tasks and reshapes entry-level work, these human capabilities are becoming the primary differentiator of value in the labor market. Durable by Design gives educators, employers, and policymakers clear, employer-grounded evidence to align around what actually matters.
Download ‘The High Demand for Durable Skills’ Report
Companies will continue to compete on innovation and talent like never before, which makes the use, sharing, and transparency of skills data across stakeholder groups even more important to the world of work. Collective action around durable skills is one way to ensure Americans have the right skills for the jobs of today and tomorrow, and the economy has the skilled workforce it needs to grow.” – Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President of Education and Workforce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation