For an increasing number of American workers, the term “middle-skill” has come to mean “digital skills.” Some 82% of middle-skill jobs are now “digitally intensive,” a 4% increase over the past two years. Evenmore importantly, the digital skills marketplace is sorting out into clear pathways for workers to advance, a vital component if middle-skill workers are to remain middle class. Burning Glass Technologies, in partnership with Capital One and following up on work done in 2015, has conducted this study to understand the future of middle-skill jobs. These reports focus on the role of digital skills in opening doors for job seekers without a college degree, a group that encompasses two-thirds of Americans. Middle-skill jobs remain fractured between the digital haves and have-nots. The number of jobs with digital skill requirements is growing faster, and the jobs pay more and offer greater opportunity for career advancement than jobs without those requirements. By contrast, the jobs that don’t require digital skills are concentrated in only a few industries, such as transportation and construction.

Middle-skill jobs, defined as those that typically require less than a bachelor’s degree while paying a living wage, comprise 46% of overall labor demand. Amidst changing technology and job responsibilities, the demand for digital skills continues to expand across the labor market and into new jobs. Workers seeking to stay ahead of job market changes will need to acquire appropriate digital skills for career advancement. Many of these skills are “stackable,” meaning they can be used as building blocks to acquire more advanced skills as workers advance through their careers. Additionally, digitally intensive positions represent opportunities for workers to achieve upward mobility. While the demand for higher education increases, opportunities for individuals without a degree increasingly rely on the ability to demonstrate specific proficiencies. Digital proficiencies open doors to jobs with family-sustaining wages across industries.