PHILADELPHIA, PA —A pressing global need for nearly 30 million new project professionals is anticipated by 2035, according to the latest Global Project Management Talent Gap report by the Project Management Institute (PMI). This growing demand is attributed to accelerating economic disruptions, digital transformation, and large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in fast-growing regions such as South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China.
Currently, the workforce includes roughly 40 million project professionals worldwide, comparable in scale to global professions like software developers and nurses. Yet the projected gap underscores an urgent workforce challenge for businesses and economies globally. “Our world is in flux: economically, politically, environmentally,” said Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President and CEO of PMI. “The talent gap in our profession isn’t just a workforce issue. It’s a barrier to progress for business and for the future of the world.”
Report Highlights and Regional Trends
The report highlights several critical findings:
- Up to 29.8 million additional project professionals will be required globally by 2035.
- Demand is surging in regions like South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and China, driven by infrastructure expansion and digital innovation.
- Key industries seeing high demand include construction, manufacturing, IT services, and healthcare, with some sectors anticipating a 66% increase in need.
- Mature economies, including North America and Europe, face shrinking labor pools due to an aging workforce and shifting career patterns.
The report also emphasizes an opportunity for organizations to leverage reskilling, upskilling, and the creation of new career pathways to help bridge the workforce gap. This aligns with the findings of the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, which lists project managers as one of the fastest-growing roles globally, ranked 12th overall.
Implications for Global Industries
As industries undergo transformation fueled by infrastructure investments and digital advances, project professionals are emerging as pivotal contributors. They enable businesses to translate ambitious projects into measurable outcomes. However, in mature economies, the retirement of experienced project talent threatens to impede delivery capabilities, highlighting the need for workforce reinvention and investment.
“Those who invest in modern project talent today will have a competitive edge tomorrow,” the report notes, forecasting that project professionals will not only be essential to delivery but also act as strategic partners to senior leadership, connecting projects to broader business objectives and societal impacts.
With industries and economies relying on effective project execution to thrive in an era of disruption, the need for skilled and agile project managers has never been greater. For organizations, bridging this talent gap will be a key determinant of sustained growth and transformation in the coming decades.
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