LSWC 2025 National Workforce Trends Report

It’s here!  The biennial National Workforce Trends Report is out. Produced by Life Sciences Workforce Collaborative in partnership with InnovATEBIO (NSF grant DUE 2349809) and TEConomy Partners LLC. It draws from over 500 company survey responses, 200 executive interviews and 2.9 million job postings and presents four key themes: strategic hiring amid slower growth, widespread integration of AI and automation, increased investment in upskilling incumbent workers, and a surge in early STEM engagement. 

The report is long and has fantastic insights into the state of life sciences workforce. If you want to read it all, but need a shorter version as an “appetizer”, the team also provided a Highlights document. The four themes that emerged from the data are explained, but equally important are the implications of these themes—what does that mean to employers, and also to workforce developers. 

First, strategic hiring amid slower growth means that prospective employees need to be even more prepared to show why they are the best fit for the role. Technical skills and 'soft' skills are important to get a foot in the door. Employers are investing more in existing employees as well as utilizing contractors and consultants.

Second, as we are all hearing again and again, AI, machine learning, and industrial automation are bringing disruptive opportunities and challenges which means workforce developers need to be watching closely to make sure curriculum keeps up with the changes and students are adaptable  AFTER they are hired, because the job they are hired for may quickly change or even disappear.

Third, companies are putting increased emphasis on upskilling and reskilling. Demonstrated skills and competencies are still key for entry-level technician and production hires. Prior work experience remains a sought-after qualification, and each industry subsector has its own list of leading specialized skills so its important to know what part of industry you want so that you can choose best-fit skills.

And finally, companies are engaging students earlier, looking to build talent pipelines. These efforts could lead to opportunities for students, with over half of companies surveyed having initiatives for internships for community college students.

The report goes into incredible depth and really brings home, at least to me, the message that as things change, they also stay the same. It has always been important to work with employers to determine current critical skills, and then find ways to quickly bring those skills to the students. The workforce landscape has already faced many disruptive challenges, and will continue to do so--AI is a big one, but skilled and knowledgeable lab workers are still very much in demand, as long as they have followed the changing needs of employers. 

To be honest, reading the report felt a bit like a rollercoaster--one minute I am hopeful that we can all meet the challenges facing us, the next minute I wonder if things are moving too fast. But I bought my ticket to this biotechnology ride a long time ago, and I think it is the best one in town, so I am holding on tight and watching for what comes next!