Japan-U.S. Survey Shows Gap In Skill Acquisition

Aug 25, 2025 | News On Japan

Aug 25, 2025 (News On Japan) - As technology reshapes the workplace, skills are coming under sharper focus. Indeed, the job search site operator, surveyed workers in Japan and the United States about skills. Asked whether the importance of job-related skills is increasing, 56.2% in Japan and 82.5% in the United States said yes.

When respondents were asked which skills they want to newly acquire or strengthen, Japanese workers ranked “soft skills” highest—such as resilience, flexibility and agility, along with curiosity and a mindset for continuous learning. By contrast, U.S. workers put “hard skills” at the top, including technology literacy and the ability to use artificial intelligence and big data.

The share of people who said they do not wish to acquire or improve skills showed a wide gap: 29.3% in Japan versus 3.7% in the United States. The results point to differing attitudes toward upskilling in the two countries.

Source: FNN

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