Korn Ferry: 77% of leaders see skills gaps outweighing talent shortages in 2027
KFY•Korn Ferry’s report says 77% of surveyed leaders expect capability gaps to outweigh talent shortages in 2027, while 78% see too few workers prepared for future work. It also finds 66% plan heavy investment in reskilling and 63% expect AI agents to take over routine tasks.
1. Workforce expectations
Korn Ferry’s October 22 report projects AI and capability gaps will reshape hiring and workforce development in 2027. In the survey, 65% expect work to be organized around skills, while 40% plan to maintain entry-level hiring with greater emphasis on higher-value work.
2. AI and labor gaps
The report says 65% anticipate shortages of skilled manual and technical workers, and 64% expect AI to disrupt knowledge work more than frontline work.
