Job titles are changing faster than most hiring strategies can keep up with. Skills are becoming the real currency of the workforce. And across Asia Pacific, the numbers are starting to back that up.
In this episode of Work Right with Rich, host Richard Farmer sits down with Pei Ying Chua, APAC Head Economist at LinkedIn, to talk through what LinkedIn’s data is actually showing about the job market in 2026. It’s a candid, no-fluff conversation that covers skills-based hiring, the real impact of AI on jobs, why Asia is one of the most exciting regions for growth right now, and what leaders should be doing differently when it comes to building their workforce.
Whether you’re a business leader thinking about talent strategy, an HR professional navigating a shifting hiring landscape, or someone building your own career, this episode has something practical for you.
Key takeaways
- Skills are the new job title. Recruiters on LinkedIn are increasingly searching by skill, not by past role. Candidates who showcase a clear portfolio of relevant skills, including volunteer work, side projects, and courses, are getting noticed more than those who rely solely on job history.
- About 20% of today’s jobs didn’t exist in 2000. Roles like data scientist, content creator, and digital marketing specialist are now mainstream but were non-existent 25 years ago. This is one of the strongest arguments for focusing on skills over titles.
- No job is fully replaceable by AI. LinkedIn’s global research found that while AI can replicate parts of almost every job, there is no role made up entirely of AI-replicable skills. Jobs will evolve and change shape, but they won’t simply disappear.
- AI literacy is the most in-demand skill right now. What’s growing fast is AI literacy: the ability to use AI tools effectively, responsibly, and in ways that support good human judgement. This skill is rising across every sector, not just tech.
- The most future-proof skills are deeply human. Leadership, empathy, creativity, problem-solving, and judgement are the skills that AI struggles to replicate. They’re also the hardest to build quickly.
- Asia is the fastest-growing region in the world. GDP growth, a large and expanding working-age population, rising digital literacy, and increasing business investment are all pointing in the same direction. If you’re looking for where the opportunities are, APAC is it.
- Singapore remains the leadership hub for Asia. Even as hiring spreads across the region, LinkedIn’s data shows that senior leadership roles are disproportionately concentrated in Singapore. For businesses expanding into Asia, it continues to be the natural starting point.
- HR needs to evolve beyond hiring. Stop thinking of HR as purely a recruitment function. Internal mobility, skills development, mentoring, and structured learning programmes are what will build the workforce businesses actually need for the next few years.
- Give your team AI guidelines, not just AI tools. Handing people AI tools without guidance creates hesitation. Clear guidelines on how to use AI responsibly and effectively give employees the confidence to actually use them well. Every organisation will use AI differently, and that’s fine, but the guardrails matter.
- Agility is the skill that underpins everything else. Whether you’re a leader planning your talent strategy or an individual building your career, the single most useful quality right now is the willingness to adapt. The world of work is not going to settle into a predictable pattern anytime soon.
Episode chapters
Jump to the parts most relevant to you:
| Timestamp | Topic |
|---|---|
| 0:00 | Introduction and welcome |
| 0:56 | Rich introduces Pei Ying and her role at LinkedIn |
| 1:16 | The shift from job titles to skills: what LinkedIn’s data is showing |
| 2:17 | Are we seeing the end of the traditional career path? |
| 3:30 | Portfolio careers, fractional work, and why job titles are too broad |
| 4:16 | The 20% stat: jobs that didn’t exist in 2000 |
| 5:15 | How individuals and companies need to change how they present and hire |
| 6:37 | APAC outlook for Q2, Q3, and beyond: the case for agility |
| 7:25 | Advice for leaders: where to find reliable data in a noisy market |
| 8:39 | The APAC job market: why hiring is cautious despite more job postings |
| 9:47 | Why organisations are in a transition phase and what that means |
| 10:51 | The rise of contingent and contract work in Asia |
| 11:42 | New job titles created by AI: AI engineers, data annotation, and more |
| 12:35 | AI engineering vs AI literacy: what the difference means for your workforce |
| 14:17 | How businesses are actually using AI today (and where the gap is) |
| 15:32 | LinkedIn’s global study: mapping AI-replicable vs AI-complementary skills |
| 16:21 | The key finding: no job is fully replaceable by AI |
| 17:22 | The human skills AI can’t replicate: leadership, empathy, creativity |
| 18:06 | What to tell your kids about future careers |
| 19:26 | Resilience, entrepreneurship, and the rise of non-linear careers |
| 20:22 | Leadership advice: rethinking HR as a skills and development function |
| 21:52 | Building skills from within: internal mobility and reverse mentoring |
| 23:02 | Why Asia is the fastest-growing region in the world |
| 24:00 | Philippines, India, Singapore: which markets are showing the most momentum |
| 25:21 | LinkedIn data on company expansion into Asia and where senior leaders are hiring |
| 26:49 | Singapore as the APAC headquarters of choice |
| 27:37 | LinkedIn’s own growth in Asia: the fastest-growing region on the platform |
| 28:34 | The most in-demand skill right now: AI literacy |
| 29:06 | Which sectors are adopting AI fastest (the answer might surprise you) |
| 29:58 | Talent shortage vs skills shortage: is there actually a difference? |
| 30:54 | Which APAC economies are best positioned for growth |
| 31:39 | GDP numbers coming in above forecast: what it signals |
| 32:22 | Balancing AI adoption with what’s already working in your business |
| 33:06 | The future of skills-based hiring from LinkedIn’s perspective |
| 33:49 | The biggest challenge for leaders: moving from strategy to execution |
| 34:22 | Assessment tools and how to measure soft skills |
| 35:35 | Pei Ying’s one piece of advice for leaders in 2026 |
| 36:07 | How to give your team AI guidelines that actually work |
| 36:52 | Book recommendation: The Undercover Economist |
| 37:38 | Final advice for people entering the workforce |
| 37:55 | Wrap-up and thanks |
Editor’s note: This episode was recorded in March 2026. Some parts of the conversation reflect the business and economic climate at the time of recording and may not include more recent global developments.
