Definitive guide
Statistics on Training
Training Statistics 2025 – 101 Useful Facts For Startups
Employee engagement is an important aspect that entrepreneurs, especially startups, should nurture to ensure company growth, competitiveness, longevity, and profit. Employee development is one of the factors influencing employee engagement. Thus, here are 100 training statistics startups would find most useful.
1. Companies that invest in employee training or development experience 11% more profitability thantheir competition.
According to a 2020 Gallup Survey, companies that have strategically invested in employee development can retain twice as much of their personnel as competitors. The same companies also experience 11% more profitability.
The key, the survey results emphasized, is for companies to make employee development a part of their work culture. Doing so would make employees see a clear career path and not leave the company.
2. 48% of workers based in the United States can be pirated by a competitor company when offered skills training opportunities.
The American Upskilling Study conducted in 2021 showed that almost half of American workers (48%) would move to a new job when it comes to skills training opportunities. While majority of American workers (65%) admit that they evaluate a new job offer based on its provision for upskilling.
3. 60% of employees across the globe are “quiet quitting” when there is no professional growth.
The State of the Global Workplace 2023, released recently by Gallup, highlighted that six in 10 employees (60%) are “quiet quitting.” The report explained that “quiet quitting” happens when the employee is disengaged from work psychologically because they have no supportive bonds in the organization.
Such employees are physically present but mentally absent because they “don’t feel like there’s a lot of room for me to grow internally.” This global phenomenon has affected 9% of the global GDP which amounts to $8.8 trillion.
4. 51% of employees currently employed are always on the lookout for a new job.
As per the State of The Global Workplace 2023, more than half or 51% of people who are currently employed are actively looking for a new job. These people do so due to their need for opportunities for development and growth, as well as, increased pay. Improved well-being is the third most important factor behind such a disposition.
5. 41% of employees across the globe see having an engaged work culture as a means to having “a great place to work.”
The State of the Global Workplace 2023 also highlighted that having a culture of employee engagement is one of the main aspects organizations should invest more in. Employee engagement was given more priority by survey respondents (41%) over pay benefits (28%) and wellbeing (16%).
By engagement, Gallup expounded that this pertains to better managers, clearer goals, more opportunities to learn, and more recognition for employees.
6. 94% of employees will resign if the organization they work for does not invest in their development.
A 2019 CNBC report revealed that 94% of employees attested to staying longer in the company they work for if it invested in their training. Opportunities for learning and growth are a primary importance now to employees that businessmen, especially startups need to seriously consider.
7. 27% of Millennials and Gen Zs say opportunities to grow and learn make them happy at work.
The CNBC report also underscored that the new generation of employees, which is comprised mostly of Gen Zs and Millennials, have different workplace priorities than their elders.
Accordingly, the younger generation prefers opportunities for learning and growth in an organization as a means to be happy at work. Gen Zs and Millennials are quick to leave or resign from work once this opportunity disappears or is not present in their workplace.
8. There was a 7% decline in budgets worldwide for talent development in 2023.
Statista surveyed from May 2017 to May 2023 to find out if the budget for talent development continued to increase since the height of the pandemic. Accordingly, talent development across the globe shrunk to 22% in June 2020 from 37% in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
But this quickly increased by 33% in March 2021 and 48% in 2022. Data for 2022 exceeded 2019 budgets by 5% (43%), which was the height of its growth before the pandemic.
There was an increasing recognition of the importance of employee development or training to an organization’s growth and profitability before the pandemic. This pushed budgets for talent development to increase to 27% in 2017 and further grow to 35% in 2018.
But 2023’s budget for talent development has gone down to 41%, lower by 2% to that of 2019’s and by 7% to that of 2022.
9. Companies with comprehensive training programs get 218% more income per employee.
A 2019 report from Forbes revealed that investing in employee development has great rewards. The report highlighted that companies with comprehensive training programs enjoy 24% higher profits than companies with no formalized training. Moreover, the same companies experience 218% higher income for each employee because of their comprehensive training programs. Awesome!
10. In 2022, 65% of the American workforce were not “engaged”.
The State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report showed that 65% of employees based in the United States were not “engaged”. This meant employees were indifferent–they neither liked nor disliked their jobs, which posed a big risk to productivity.
The report emphasized that managers or business owners must make concrete plans of providing employee development. It also requires nurturing positive relationships in the workplace to address this matter.
11. Training expenditures in the United States increased by 0.2% in 2023.
According to the 2023 Training Industry Report, there was a slight increase (0.2%) in training expenditures among companies based in the United States.
Data show that training expenditure for 2021-2022 was at $101.6 billion, and this went up to $101.8 billion for 2022-2023. The 2023 training expenditures involved 142,829 US-based companies with more than 100 employees.
12. 81% of personnel from Learning & Development departments are helping organizations that aim for a people-centered working culture.
According to the LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report, most business organizations (83%) are now striving to create a people-centered working environment. These organizations are working hand-in-hand with their Learning & Development (L&D) departments to achieve their goal, which involves designing the entire employee experience.
13. Training expenditures in the United States have increased by 16.21% from 2018.
Based on data from the 2023 Training Industry Report, training expenditures in the United States have increased from $87.6 billion in 2018 to $101.8 billion in 2023.
This translates to a 16.21% increase over the last six years since 2018. The US training expenditures have been dwindling during the said period and have only started to pick up again in 2021 when it was $92.3 billion.
14. 89% of professionals engaged in Learning & Development agree that building employee skills now prepares companies for the future of the workplace.
The 2023 Workplace Learning Report highlighted how the pandemic has greatly affected the workplace. Its primary effect is a major shift in skill set, coupled with a disruption in talent and a shortage in skills.
This is on top of skills sets for jobs have been changing since 2015 by roughly 25%. Learning & Development (L&D) professionals then estimate that this change in skills sets will rise to 50% by 2027.
As such, most (89%) of L&D professionals agree on the need to proactively build employee skills as early as now to prepare companies for the upcoming evolution in the workplace.
15. The highest recorded growth for training expenditures in the United States was in 2017 at 32.5% year on year.
Statistics show that the highest growth in US training expenditures was in 2017, when it reached $90.6 billion. This value reportedly was a 32.5% increase from the previous year.
The training expenditures in the United States declined immediately in 2018 (-3.31%) when it was recorded at $87.6 billion. The decline continued in 2019 where US training expenditures was at $83.0 billion (-5.25%).
In 2020, training expenditures for the entire country rose to $83.5 billion (0.602%) before they became $92.3 billion in 2021. The 10.08% increase in US training expenditures from 2020 to 2021 is not even half of that recorded for 2017.
16. There is a 6% increase in the time L&D professionals spent with upper management for a better employee experience.
The influence of Learning & Development (L&D) professionals on upper management–executive leadership and the chief human resource officer–show positive progress in 2023. In 2022, 43% of L&D professionals spent time with executive leadership.
This went up to 50% in 2023. While 39% of L&D professionals spent time with chief human resource officers in 2022. This significantly rose by 4% (44%) in 2023. This continuous increase shows a brighter working environment for employee development and overall experience in the workplace.
17. 61.89% of the 2023 total training expenditures were spent on training staff payroll.
Statistics from the 42nd Training Industry Report (2023) detailed that $63 billion (61.89%) of the 101.8 billion total training expenditures were allocated for training staff payroll. The rest of the budget was for spending on outside products and services needed for the organization’s training needs.
18. Only a 1% increase in organizations engaged in the early stage of the skills journey was seen in 2023.
Despite the widespread recognition of the value of upskilling and reskilling, the actual application of initiatives for it in organizations is at a slow pace in 2023. Data for 2022 shows that 39% of organizations were already in the early stage of their upskilling and reskilling initiatives.
Yet this only increased by 1% this 2023, which totals 40%. While organizations in the middle stage of their skills journey increased by 2% from 52% in 2022 to 54% in 2023.
Sadly, a 3% decline was seen for those in the late stage or who were able to accomplish their initiatives this 2023. Data in 2022 showed 5% of organizations were in the late stage and this became 2% in 2023.
19. Funding for U.S. training staff payroll decreased by 3.23% year-on-year in 2023.
The $63 billion recorded 2023 training staff payroll was lower than the $65.1 billion recorded in 2022. This shows a 3.23% decline year-on-year. The decline in training staff payroll started to decline in 2022, which was 5.24% lower to that in 2021 when it reached $68.7 billion.
20. 93% of talent development professionals are primarily dealing with employee retention.
Retaining employees in the workplace is the number one concern of talent development professionals in 2023. This is on top of skills shortages brought in by the pandemic. 93% of talent development professionals admit to this issue.
Accordingly, they are working to address it by providing more learning opportunities in their respective organizations. Data showed that opportunities for career growth and opportunities to learn take up the 4th and 5th reason employees leave the organization.
21. The highest training staff payroll expenditure recorded in the United States was in 2021 at $68.7 billion.
In seven years, the training staff payroll expenditure in the United States has fluctuated at an average of $54.21 billion since 2017. The expenses for training staff payroll began to increase in 2017 (12.4% year on year) at $41.6 billion.
Records show this increased by 12.98% in 2018 at $47 billion and by 10% in 2019 at $51.7 billion. However, the pandemic pushed expenditures down by 17.99% in 2020. Expenditures for training staff payroll started to pick up again in 2021 when it skyrocketed by 62.03% at $68.7 billion.
22. 66% of Millennials and Gen Zs look for career growth and development as motivations for seeking a job.
Based on the 2023 Workplace Learning Report, 35% of Millennials and Gen Zs, or those aged 18 to 3,4, look for career growth opportunities in a company when job seeking. 31% of the same age group look for learning and skills development opportunities in a company when job seeking. Overall, this shows that 66% of Millennials and Gen Zs desire career and learning opportunities as a motivation when job seeking.
23. The average training spending on outside products and services in the United States over the last seven years is $9.03 billion.
Training expenditures on outside products and services similarly fluctuated since 2017, but at a very minimal rate. In 2017, spending on outside products and services was recorded at $7.5 billion (0.0% year on year).
The said expenditure rose by 46.67% in 2018 at $11 billion but quickly returned to its previous state in 2019. The pandemic surprisingly pushed spending on outside products and services to increase by 42.67% at $10.7 billion.
Surprisingly, this became $8.1 billion in 2021 (-24.3%) and $8.2 billion in 2022 (1.23%). Spending in outside products and services for 2023 climbed by 23.17% when it reached $10.1 billion. 2018’s $11 billion is the highest recorded for training spending on outside products and services over the past seven years.
24. 55% of job seekers aged 35 and above seek opportunities for skills learning and development in a company.
Data for 2023 shows that most job seekers aged 35 to 50+ (55%) prioritize learning and development opportunities for their skills before applying to a company’s vacancy. That’s 29% of job seekers aged 35 to 49 and 26% of job seekers aged 50 and above.
The same age group (35 to 50+) also looks for career growth opportunities within a company. This translates to 29% of job seekers aged 35 to 49 and 16% of job seekers aged 50 and above.
25. Small companies were the only type of business that experienced an increase in average training expenditure in 2023 at 24.48%.
According to Training Magazine, the average training expenditure for small companies rose to $459,177 in 2023 from $368,891 in 2022. This reflected a 24.48% increase in average training expenditure for small companies, which was the highest across business sizes.
Midsized companies retained their 2022 average training expenditure for 2023, which is $1.5 million. Large companies, on the other hand, experienced a decrease in average training expenditures in 2023. Records show that large companies incurred an average training expenditure of $19.2 million in 2022, which dipped to $16.1 million (-16.14%) in 2023.
26. 75% of employees will likely stay in their workplace if they are provided with skills expansion and promotions.
Statistics show that most employees (75%) with a two-year tenure at work will likely not leave if they have experienced internal movement or promotions.
While 56% of those with two-year work tenure who have not experienced any internal movement will likely stay if provided with a clear career path.
Experts say that companies that are people-centric and business-centric retain more employees because they help internal movement. Accordingly, the expansion of an employee’s skills and network is a big factor in retention.
27. Large U.S. companies engaged in services recorded the highest average training expenditures in 2023 at $19.4 million.
Available data show that large companies classified as service organizations had the highest average training expenditures in 2023, totaling $19,408,362 in the United States. Large companies classified as manufacturers or distributors came in second with $16,831,450 average training expenditures in 2023.
Large nonprofits, on the other hand, came in third with $13,545,444 in average training expenditures for 2023. Large retail or wholesale companies had $9,870,909 in average training expenditures, which was not far behind the $9,628,308 incurred by large government or military companies. While large education companies had $3,749,833 in total training expenditures in 2023.
28. 26% of employees worldwide say they learned a new skill after being challenged by their organization.
Many executives prioritize employee motivation and engagement. The said executives support this by also prioritizing internal movement in the company. However, statistics show there is a gap in the intent and what is actually experienced by employees across many organizations.
Data show that only 26% of employees learned a new skill after being challenged by their organization. While another 14% were encouraged to create a new career development plan for themselves. Yet only 15% were encouraged to move to a new role.
29. Midsized service U.S. companies also recorded the highest training expenditures in 2023 at an average of $1.9 million.
Data from Training Magazine shows that mid-sized service companies in the United States had the highest average training expenditure in 2023. This was recorded at $1,930,688, which was higher than the $1,360,936 incurred by mid-sized government or military companies for the year.
30. Presentation skills grabbed the #1 spot of the highest growing skills for L&D professionals in 2022.
The top five fastest growing skills globally from September 2021 to September 2022 among Learning and Development (L&D) professionals according to rank are presentation skills, analytical skills, customer experience, operations, and process improvement.
This data show that L&D professionals are also taking a lot of time to undergo training for themselves as their roles in organizations expand. Experts say that L&Ds really should prioritize their own learning so that they would become more visible and influential in their organization.
31. Small companies engaged in manufacturing or distributorship had the largest average training expenditure in 2023 at $644,619.
Of the seven organization types of small companies, those engaged in manufacturing or distributorship recorded the highest average training expenditure in 2023 at $644,619. Small companies engaged in services followed by $481,710 in average training expenditures. While small companies engaged in the government or military ranked third at $370,476.
32. Only 11% of employees are unsatisfied with their employer’s training program.
According to the 2022 Workplace Learning and Development Executive Summary, a very small number of employees (11%) find the training their employers provide unsatisfactory. While most employees (75%) conveyed satisfaction with the training their employers provided them in 2022.
33. 43% of U.S. companies intend to purchase online learning tools and systems in 2024.
According to the 42nd Training Industry Report, almost half or 43% of companies based in the United States will be purchasing online learning tools and systems in 2024. Online games and simulations interestingly come second 41%) to the type of training products and services for 2024 purchase. While 37% of companies intend to purchase business skills training products and services in 2024.
34. The average training expenditure of small U.S. companies engaged in Retail/Wholesale plunged by 46.03% year-on-year in 2023.
Small Retail/Wholesale companies in the United States ranked 4th among organization types for having an average training expenditure of $280,093 allocated in the annual total budget in 2023. This was almost half or 46.0356% lower than that allocated for training expenditures in 2022, which was $519,033.
Compared to 2017, the average training expenditure of small Retail/Wholesale companies decreased by 28.44% in 2023. The plunge in funding is a stark contrast to the 32.60% increase in the average training expenditure of small Retail/Wholesale companies from 2017, which was at $391,429, to that of 2022.
35. 76% of employees find relevance in the training they received for their current work.
In a 2022 research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), most or 76% of employees say they believe the training they received from their employer has relevance to their current work environment. While 24% pointed out that “their training isn’t relevant to their role” at work.
36. Small Manufacturer/Distributor companies in the United States experienced a 65.32% increase in average training expenditure in 2023.
The average training expenditure of small U.S. Manufacturer/Distributor companies has surpassed its 2017 record for reaching $644,619 this 2023. Historical data for the said industry and type of organization show the average training expenditure for 2017 was $626,056. This plunged by 37.72% in 2022 at $389,917 but climbed again in 2023.
37. 33% of employees prefer quarterly training over monthly training.
The 2022 Workplace Learning & Development Trends Research Report highlighted that only 25% of employees prefer monthly training. Most of the employees or 33%, however, prefer quarterly training.
This is against actual data that show 36% of organizations provide monthly training and another 36% provide training every three months. Surprisingly, 12% of employees prefer ad hoc training despite only 5% of organizations providing it as the need arises.
38. The average training expenditure for small U.S. companies engaged in Education has grown by an average of 46.86% since 2017.
Small educational companies based in the United States remarkably increased in budget allocation for training expenditures by 167.22% year-on-year in 2023. The average training expenditure for 2023 of small educational companies was at $276,130, which was a big jump to the $103,333 of 2022.
The sector’s $390,000 average training expenditure in 2017 declined by 73.50% in 2022, resulting in an average growth of 46.86% over the five-year period.
39. 33% of employees get frustrated from finding the motivation with training.
The Society for Human Resource Management revealed in 2022 that the primary frustration employees have with their employer’s training is finding the motivation to stick with it (33%).
The top two and three common frustrations employees have with training at work are quickly forgetting the training material (25%) and the time they lack to finish the training (25%).
While some (24%) find that the training is irrelevant to their current role at work. There are a few (21%) who find the content of the training provided to them as out of date.
40. In 2022, Learning Management Systems comprised the highest funding among the types of training products and services at 39%.
Companies in the United States across organization types and sizes showed that they intended to purchase Lead Management Systems the most in 2022 at 39%. But this type of training product dropped by more than half in 2023 to 17%.
Online Learning Tools & Systems became a priority among U.S. companies for training products and services in 2023, allocating 43% of the funding for it. Audio and Web Conferencing Products & Systems had the least provision in 2023 at only 3% of training products and services.
41. 70% of employees prefer online or self-paced courses.
Due to the lack of time to finish or complete training, self-paced or online courses have become popular with 70% of employees in 2022. The option of undergoing online or instructor-led training is another popular option for employees (63%) along with instructor-led in-person training (63%).
There are others who opted for a hybrid educational setting (62%). This reflects the reality that 31% of employees prefer to have more control over their training programs.
42. Training expenditures per learner in the U.S. were the lowest in 2023 at $954.
Over the last four years, training expenditures per learner in the United States across organization type and company size shrunk to $954 in 2023. This represents a 20.96% decline year-on-year. Training expenditures per person in the United States were at $1,111 in 2020, $1,071 in 2021 (-3.60% year-on-year), and $1,207 in 2022 (+12.6984% year-on-year).
43. 70% of employees receive “compliance” as the most common training at work.
There are six common types of training employees receive from their employers. These are compliance (70%), soft skills (51%), upskilling (50%), and product training (39%). Employees also commonly receive training for onboarding (365) and for reskilling (36%).
44. Total expenditures per learner among small companies in the U.S. are regaining ground in 2023 at $1,420.
Since 2020, total expenditures per learner among small companies in the United States have been declining at an average rate of 8.59%. Records show that total expenditures per learning in 2020 were $1,678, which declined by 14.60% year-on-year in 2021 to $1,433. This further declined by 2.58% in 2022 at $1,396 and only started picking up again by 1.7192% in 2023 at $1,420.
45. 53% of HR Managers admit facing a skills gap in their company.
In 2022, more than half or 53% of Human Resource Managers stated that they are facing a skills gap in their company. Training employees then, for 51% of HR Managers, is a primary solution to address the skills gap. While hiring new employees is the solution undertaken by some (32%) HR Managers. Leveraging independent freelancers or contractors, on the other hand, are steps taken by a few or 17%.
46. The Hours of Training per Employee in the United States increased by 45.04% in a span of seven years.
In 2016, the Hours of Training per Employee in the United States was 39.3. This increased by 45.04% to 57 hours in 2023 across all companies regardless of size and organization type.
Historical data show that the Hours of Training per Employee in the United States have been increasing since 2016. There was a 21.12% year-on-year increase in 2017 at 47.6 hours. The Hours of Training per U.S. Employee became 64 hours in 2021, reflecting a 34.45% increase to that of 2017.
However, the Hours of Training per U.S. employee started to decline in 2022 at 62 before it further declined by 8.06% in 2023.
47. 59% of companies in 2022 plan to provide upskilling training to their employees.
Upskilling and reskilling are another means of narrowing the skills gap in a company. The popularity of these two methodologies has become widespread such that 59% of companies intend to offer it in the next 12 months. While 36% of companies are already offering upskilling training to their employees.
48. There was a 3.28% decrease in the Hours of training per employee for U.S. small companies in 2023.
Data from Training Magazine show that small companies in the United States provided the most number of training hours to employees in 2023 compared to other company sizes. The hours of training per employee of U.S. small companies was 59 in 2023, which is a 3.28% decrease year-on-year. Accordingly, 61 hours were spent by U.S. companies in 2022 when it came to employee training.
49. In 2022, 92% OF HR managers choose to reinforce a positive employee experience.
The 2022 Workplace Learning and Development Trends Report revealed that the most important training goal for Human Resource Managers in 2022 is reinforcing an employee’s positive experience. 92% of HR Managers agree with this.
88% of HR Managers find building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace as the most important training goal. The other important training goal of HR managers are improving employee engagement (87%). creating a growth mindset (87%), and closing a skills gap (86%).
Building a highly-skilled workforce that’s equipped for change is another important training goal for 86% of HR Managers. At the bottom of the least, 82% of HR Managers find “reducing employee turnover” as other important training goal.
50. 77.77% of soft skills training provided by employers in 2022 exceeded the actual need of employees for it.
Soft skills is a leverage for each employee to be set apart from the rest of the workforce to achieve a sought-after promotion or career goal. Business-wise, it makes happier employees and increased productivity. Companies, as a result, provide soft skills training but fail to do so after asking what employees really need.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) pointed this out in the results of their 2022 Workplace Learning & Development Trends report. The report highlighted that most or 77.77% (7 out of 9) of soft skills training provided by employers don’t actually meet what employees need creating a big gap in employee satisfaction.
The said soft skills are time management, empathy, critical thinking & problem solving, agility & adaptibility, communication & collaboration, creativity & innovation, and diversity, equity, & inclusion.
Employees actually prefer soft skills training for assertiveness and leadership but organizations provided less of these in 2022.
51. The biggest gap in employee satisfaction for soft skills training was in time management at 19%.
Based on SHRM data, 61% of organizations provided soft skills training in 2022 but only 42% of employees find it relevant or want it. This leaves a 19% surplus or excess in supply for such training as against the actual demand for it.
Soft skills training on diversity, equity, & inclusion had the second biggest gap in employee satisfaction at 15%. Demand for DE&I among employees was only 25% yet 40% of organizations provided it.
Agility & adaptability, on the other hand, was preferred by only 25% of employees but 34% of organizations conducted this in 2022. Thus, creating an 11% surplus.
52. Communication & collaboration ranked 4th among soft skills training provided by employers that employees don’t really need.
More than half of organizations or 54% provided soft skills training on communication and collaboration in 2022. Surprisingly, only 44% of employees favor the training given to them. A 10% gap in employee satisfaction existed because of this since there was a surplus in supply for such soft skills training as against the actual demand for it.
This put soft skills training of such sort in the 4th spot, which follows that of agility & adaptability (11%), diversity, equity, & inclusion (15%), and time management (19%). While critical thinking & problem solving training in 2022 got the 5th spot for having a surplus of 7% (36% demand vs 39% supply).
53. 54% of employees prefer soft skills training on leadership.
More than half of employees or 54% look forward to skills training on leadership yet only 53% of employers provided this last 2022. As such, there was a 1% deficit in supply. Next to leadership, employees are also in need of soft skills training on assertiveness (27%). However, only 25% of organizations provided this in 2022, creating a deficit of 2% in supply.
54. The smallest gap in employee satisfaction for soft skills training in 2022 was for creativity & innovation at 3%.
As per SHRM data, 39% of organizations provided soft skills training for creativity & innovation in 2022. The said organizations almost met the demand employees have for the said soft skill, which was 36%.
This meant there was only a 3% gap in employee satisfaction. This is very small compared to the 19% gap in employee satisfaction for soft skills training on time management. While soft skills training on empathy in 2022 showed a 5% gap between employee favorability (21%) and employer provision (27%) for it.
55. 65% of employees prefer to watch videos as part of in-house training content.
SurveyMonkey said that videos are the most attractive content preferred by employees for in-house training. 65% of employees said they choose to watch videos when learning something. While 55% still prefer lectures and presentations.
Only 47%, however, find reading short articles during in-house trainings as a preferred choice. Listening to audio recordings is the least preferred content format of employees (25%) when learning something.
56. 61% of employees in Europe, as of May 2025, have not received AI training from their employers.
A report released by Forrester highlighted that only 39% of European employees have received AI training as of this date. According to Forrester, Europe is lagging in the needed competence of staff in the highly AI-moving economy when compared to the United States, where 52% of employees have received professional AI training.
57. In Europe, there is a 7% gap in the perceptions of business decision-makers and employees regarding the need for AI training.
62% of decision-makers of companies in Europe perceive their non-technical staff to be motivated in learning AI. However, a survey in early 2025 revealed that only 55% of employees are motivated to learn and undergo AI training.
58. There is a 1% gap between the perception of business decision-makers and employees in the US on the need for AI training.
Unlike in Europe, 63% of employees in the United States are motivated to learn and undergo AI training in line with the demands of their work. 64% of business decision-makers in the US, on the other hand, perceive their non-technical staff to be motivated in learning AI.
These data show that US employees and business decision-makers have the same mindset or perception when it comes to AI training, with only a 1% gap.
59. Analysts suggest 10% AI formal training to employees due to 7% of employees fear job loss from it in 2025.
In the 2024 Future Of Work Survey, 7% of employees were found fearfully anticipating job loss in 2025 due to the rise of Artificial Intelligence and other forms of technical automation in workplaces.
28% of employees, on the other hand, harbor the same fear but anticipate job loss between 2026 to 2029. While 28% anticipate job loss between 2030 to 2034.
These results prompted analysts to propose a layered formal training for business owners and companies of all sizes. The layered formal training involves 10% AI formal training to employees, 20% social learning, and 70% on-the-job experiences.
60. In 2024, 85% of adult workers in Europe have not participated in AI training.
A survey conducted by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, released in June 2024, highlighted the gap in AI skills and upskilling on the continent.
The survey showed that only 15% of adult workers in Europe have undergone training to improve their knowledge and skills in using AI systems and tools, showing a greater portion of adult workers (85%) untrained as of this date.
61. 56% of workers in Europe believe their employers will provide them with AI training.
More than half of workers in Europe (56%) have a positive perception of the companies they work for about providing them AI training. While 44% believe their employers will not provide them with the AI training they need to do their work.
62. In 2024, only 5% of European companies have trained 25% of their workforce on AI.
Fortune highlighted that Europe has the lowest percentage of employees trained for AI readiness. Accordingly, only 5% of European companies have trained 25% of their workforce on AI. This is despite 86% of companies in Europe perceiving AI’s investment profitability.
63. In 2024, Europe will have only 60% of the US’s AI readiness.
Due to the big gap in the actual implementation of AI training, a survey showed that European companies are only 60% of the actual AI readiness of companies based in the United States. The survey also showed that European companies are only 50% of the actual AI readiness of companies based in the Middle East.
64. 45% of employees in Canada believe AI training must come from the company they work for.
Indeed reported in April 2025 that less than half (45%) of employees in Canada believe AI training should come from their employers since it comes with the demands of their jobs. This percentage reflects the global average (48%) of employees perception coming from 11 countries surveyed by Indeed. In contrast, 24% of employees in Canada believe AI training is their responsibility.
65. 17% of employees in Canada attest to not having received AI training or any opportunities for development in 2024.
Canadian companies are seen to be more assertive in conducting AI training for their employees. According to a survey in 2024, only 17% of employees in Canada have not received AI training or any development opportunities yet.
This means 83% of employees in Canada are already AI-trained. Surprisingly, this is a great outcome despite more than half of Canadians (55%) believe AI will result to job loss and 25% believe AI will increase societal inequalities.
66. Only 42% of employees in Southeast Asia have not received formal training on AI as of April 2025.
According to Halldale, almost half (42%) of employees in Southeast Asia lack formal AI training as of April 2025. This is despite AI adoption in the region is at 62%. Analysts say the lack of training will greatly impact productivity due to the under utilization of the potentials of AI in the workplace.
67. In 2024, 33.33% of employed Americans feel more comfortable using AI if training is provided.
An online survey conducted by Yoh and The Harris Poll from July 9 to 11, 2024, revealed that 33.33% of employed American adults admit being more comfortable using AI in line with their job should training be provided by their companies. This is in the face of 17% of employees in America do not know how to use AI at work.
68. In 2024, 31% of employed Americans are willing to undergo AI training should this be provided by their companies.
The Yoh survey also showed that more than a quarter (31%) of employees in America expressed willingness to undergo AI training if it was provided by their companies.
Accordingly, there is a tinge of anxiety prevalent among employees in America in so far as AI in the workplace is concerned. 17% of employees in America are, in fact, concerned if they will be required to learn AI in the future in line with their job.
69. In 2024, 22% of employed Americans expressed willingness to work for a company that provides AI training.
Almost a quarter (22%) of employees in America prefer to work for a company that provides or includes AI training in their employee training program. This almost reflects the reality that 25% of employees in America believe that AI use should be part of the job description.
70. 24% of employees in America with an annual household income of less than $75K express willingness to undergo AI training.
The willingness to undergo AI training differs according to the annual household income of an employee. This is based on the survey conducted by Yoh in 2024 that showed those with an annual household income of less than $75K are less likely (24%) to undergo AI training than those with an annual household income of $100K or more.
71. 23% of employees in America with a high school diploma or less express willingness to undergo AI training.
Another factor affecting an employee’s willingness to undergo AI training is the level of his or her education. This was the interesting result of a 2024 survey where the least willing (23%) to undergo training were employed Americans with a high school diploma or less.
Employed Americans with some level of college (29%) and with an actual college degree (38%) showed more willingness to undergo AI training if it was offered by their companies in line with their job.
72. 25% of employees in America find AI training insignificant, a waste of time, and irrelevant to their work role.
Moodle released a report in January 2025 that a quarter (25%) of the American workforce do not find the AI training they received as significant and relevant. The same group even find it a waste of their time since it does not really prepare them for what is expected of them at work.
73. 52% of employees in America used AI tools to complete mandatory training at work.
The Moodle report also highlighted the use of AI tools by employees in America to complete the training that their companies mandatorily signed them up to for. Accordingly, 52% used AI-tools to complete the training and 21% used AI tools only when they were unsure of their answers to difficult questions.
While 19% used AI tools to help them in certain parts of questions and 12% admit having the AI tool undergo the entire training in their behalf.
74. An average of 30% of employees in America underwent company-provided online training half-heartedly.
A January 2025 training showed that online training at an employees discretion or time can prove to be counter-productive for a company. The survey involved employees in America where 46% would allow videos to play as they listen doing other tasks at work or speed up the video to complete the training quickly.
On the other hand, 14% of employees in America would just mute the audio and click through questions without even actually participating in the training.
75. In 2023, 98% of employees believe training is important for their work role.
CYPHER Learning released a survey in May 2023 that showed 98% of workers believe in the importance of training for their work role. While 66.67% of workers attest to the competitive edge they achieved at work through professional development.
76. 53 hours was the maximum time spent by US companies for training in 2024.
According to Statista, the longest amount of time spent by mid-sized companies in the United States per employee in 2024 was 53 hours. Records show that there was a decrease in the number of training hours spent per employee by US companies compared to previous years, which reflects a similar trend shown from 2017 to 2020.
77. 86% of training companies in the US assured they do not outsource learner support training.
In 2024, most companies (86%) engaged in training in the United States revealed that they do not outsource training for learner support. This revelation comes in response to a reporting required by the US training industry regarding member companies’ outsourcing activities.
The requirement revealed that 56% of training companies do outsource—some fully, some partially—the training they provide for workplace training.
78. The combined annual training staff payroll in the US reached $60.6 billion in 2024.
The United States training industry reported that the combined annual payroll of its training staff totalled $60.6 billion in 2024. Statista said this was comparatively lower by $4 billion than the previous year. The industry also reported that the annual spending cost for outside products and services totaled $12 billion for the same period.
79. Small companies in the US spent $1,050 to train an employee in 2024.
Training expenditures in the United States vary according to the number of employees of a company. Small companies, those with 100 to 999 employees, reportedly spent $1,050.00 per employee on training.
Mid-sized companies, on the other hand have 1,000 to 9,999 employees. For mid-sized companies, records show the cost of training per employee in 2024 was $739.00.
Large companies reportedly spent the lowest per employee for training at $398.00. A company is classified as large if it has more than 10,000 employees. Notwithstanding, the amount of training spent per employee in the US for 2024 was lower than the previous year’s.
80. In 2023, 42% of employees in the US and UK found their training as “boring” and “unengaging”.
A survey conducted in 2023 involving 4,000 employees from the United States and United Kingdom revealed that not all trainings were made equal. The reason being 42% of junior and intermediate-level employees confess they find the training provided by their companies as “boring” and “unengaging”.
On the other hand, 22% of executive-level employees say their training was “enjoyable” and “inspiring”. “Death by Powerpoint” was how mid-level and senior management describes the training they received.
81. 71% of employees in the US affirm satisfaction with their company’s training efforts in 2024.
Most employees (71%) in the United States said they are “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the upskilling and reskilling training provided by the company they work for. Data show there is a growing trend among US companies focusing on employee growth through reskilling and upskilling training to increase rates of employee retention.
This is seen in the increase in investments in human capital from $1,283.00 per worker on training in 2023 to $1,050 per worker on training in 2024.
82. YouTube and Facebook share the #1 spot for the social media platform used by US companies in training employees.
In the United States, the most common social media platform used by companies to train employees in 2023 was YouTube and Facebook. Both platforms garnered 37% each from companies when asked what social media platform do they use to train employees. Only 26% of companies say they use TikTok in employee trainings.
83. Corporate training expenditure in the US declined by 3.93% in 2024.
Records show that corporate training expenditure in the United States declined from $101.8 billion in 2023 to $97.8 billion in 2024. This reflects a 3.93% decline in corporate training expenditure year-on-year, totaling $4 billion.
84. Games and simulations were the #1 training product and service purchased in the US in 2024.
Data show that companies in the United States mostly (46%) purchased games and simulations to aid their employee training programs in 2024. With the same intent, 39% of companies acquired online learning systems and tools for their employee training for the same year.
85. Microsoft will increase free AI skills training to ASEAN members by 47.06% in 2025.
Microsoft is one of the companies in the world committed to improve knowledge and skills in technology among the member companies of the Association of South East Asian Nations in 2025.
The Big-Tech giant provided 1.7 million people with I.T. skills in 2023 and 2024 through its Skills4Jobs program, which mostly involves underprivileged youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The company will expand their efforts by 47.06% in 2025 by providing AI training to 2.5 million people from the Philippines, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, and Thailand.
86. There was a 5.98% increase in the number of employees receiving training in the UK over the last two years.
Based on data provided by the UK Office of National Statistics, there is a 5.98% increase in the number of employees receiving job-related training from Q1 2022 to Q1 2024. A total of 4,566 UK-based employees aged 16 to 64 received training from January 1 to March 31, 2022.
This increased to 4,793 employees belonging to the same age group who received training from January 1 to March 31, 2023. By January 1 to March 31, 2024, 4,839 employees belonged to the same group who received training in line with their jobs.
87. The average growth rate in the number of employees receiving training in the UK is 3.97% in the last two years.
There was a 4.97% increase in the number of UK-based employees aged 16 to 64 receiving training in the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023. The growth rate decreased to 0.95% from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024 for the number of UK-based employees aged 16 to 64 receiving training for their jobs.
This reflects an average of a 3.97% increase over the last two years for the said period. As such, the UK Office of National Statistics estimated that the number of employees receiving job-related training will further decline by 1.92% from January 1 to March 31, 2025.
88. 34.87% of employees who received training in the UK in 2024 were aged 35-49.
Based on the UK Office of National Statistics data, the biggest group (34.87%) of UK-based employees who received training in 2024 belonged were aged 35-49. There were a total of 18,433 employees from the United Kingdom who received training in 2024.
210 of these UK-based employees who received training for the said year were aged 16 to 17, 2,557 were aged 18 to 24, and 4,577 were aged 25 to 34. Employees aged 50-64 were the second biggest group that received job-related training for the same period.
89. There was a 6.88% increase in the number of UK-based employees aged 35 to 49 that received training over the last two years.
Records show that 6,014 UK-based employees aged 35 to 49 received job-related training in 2022. This increased to 6,428 for the same age group in 2024, reflecting a 6.88% increase for the two years.
Comparing to 2023 data, there were only 6,362 employees belonging to the same group who received job-related training. This translates to only a 1.04% increase year-on-year.
90. In 2024, the age group with the biggest participation in job-related training in the UK for employees was aged 18 to 24.
Employees aged 18 to 24 have shown the biggest participation in job-related training provided by companies in the United Kingdom. Data show that 2,741 employees aged 18 to 24 in 2022 received job-related training. This reflects 21% of the total population of employees belonging to the same age group in 2022.
Despite a decline in the number of employees aged 18 to 24 that received training in 2023 to 2,682, this total still reflected 21% of the total population of employees belonging to the same age group. This number declined by 1% in 2024 alongside the decrease in the number of employees aged 18 to 24 that received job-related training to 2,557.
Nevertheless, the said age group comprises the biggest percentage of its age-group population that have been receiving job-related training from 2022 to 2024. All other age groups revealed representing roughly 14% to 16% of their age group (16-17, 25-34, 35-49, and 50-64) when it comes to receiving job-related training.
91. The CAGR of the global IT Training Market is 6% for the next eight years.
A study released by Data Insights Market showed that the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of the global IT Training Market from 2025 to 2033 is 6%. This is expected to have a market size value of $8,399.8 million by the end of the eight-year period.
Experts foresee that the most in-demand training programs for professionals to gain competency in the global marketplace is Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain, and Microlearning.
92. There was a 3.3% decline in the growth of the global IT Training Market over the last two years.
Based on the study of Data Insights Market, the growth of the global IT Market declined by 3.3% from 2022 to 2024. Records show that the growth rate for 2022-2023 was at 20%, but this decreased to 16.67% in 2023-2024.
93. A US County’s Facilities Management Department took seven years to achieve 100% employee training.
The Pierce County of Washington State, United States has been targeting to provide 95% training opportunities to all department employees. For their Facilities Management Department, they have been providing a series of quarterly Effective Governance trainings since 2018. Yet it took the department seven years before all its now-70 employees (100%) undergo the training.
Records provided by the Facilities Management Department online showed that only 71% of the 55 employees they had as of December 31, 2018, have undergone the required mandatory training. This declined to 69%in the succeeding year for the same period when the number of employees became 65.
By December 31, 2020, and December 31, 2021, the department achieved 77% training for its 61 and 60 employees, respectively.
The percentage of employees trained on December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2023 was 79% and 99% at a time the department had 75 and 74 employees, respectively. The Pierce County Facilities Management Department ‘s percent of employees trained beca,e 100% only on December 31, 2024.
94. The CAGR of the European Corporate Training Market Size is projected at 7.6% over the next five years.
The Corporate Training Market Size of Europe is projected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% from 2024 to 2029. It is expected to have a market size value of $15.29 billion by the end of the five-year period.
Factors contributing to the market’s growth are the availability of Learning Management Systems (LMS), which makes it easier to conduct trainings online, and the demand of the ever-evolving business landscape for new learning, as per Technavio.
95. The CAGR of the global Corporate Training Market Size is expected at 7.8% over the next five years.
When it comes to the global Corporate Training Market Size, experts anticipate its compound annual growth rate from 2024 to 2029 at 7.8%. The expected market size value by the end of the five years is $43.86 billion. The Internet of Things (IoT) and the accessibility of more affordable e-learning modules are the two main factors affecting this growth globally.
96. The CAGR of the global Cross-Cultural Training Market Size is foreseen at 6.8% over the next four years.
The global Cross-Cultural Training Market Size is foreseen to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8% from 2025 to 2029, Technavio reported. It is expected to have a market size value of $1.93 billion by the end of the four years.
The global Cross-Cultural Training Market involves the regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, and South America. The increasing globalization of businesses, accessibility of more affordable e-learning modules, and increasing use of digital game elements for training are trends pushing the market’s growth.
97. In 2023, the global average spend per worker on training was $1,283.
Statistics show that the global average spend on the learning and development of each employee in 2023 totaled $1,283. Records show that this is higher than the previous year due to an increase in the importance of continuous learning for employees, which is parallel to the increase of their productivity.
98. An 82.86% year-on-year increase was seen in the global training hours per employee in 2021.
The global learning hours per employee in 2020 was 35 hours. This dramatically became 64 hours per employee globally in 2021, reflecting an 82.86% increase compared to the previous year. Experts say the increase in the number of hours spent for the training of each employee is directly proportional to the amount of funds allocated by companies for the training of their employees.
99. 37% of employees worldwide attended cybersecurity training in 2024.
Records show that more than a third (37%) of employees in the world have attended cybersecurity training in person in 2024. While 34% of employees in the world attended the same training virtually but “instructor-led” for the said year. Cybersecurity training has become a part of the mandatory company trainings due to the increase of phishing and online scams affecting the workplace.
100. 34% of employees worldwide received cybersecurity training in 2024 through “simulated phishing attacks.”
If there are simulated fire drills as part of disaster, risk, and recovery management trainings, employees now also undergo “simulated phishing attacks”. This was the case of 34% of the world’s employees who received such a form of cybersecurity training in 2024. Another 32% received “smishing and vishing simulations” for their cybersecurity training for the same period.
101. 45% of employees globally received cybersecurity training that is only “computer-based”.
Almost half (45) of the world’s employees in 2024 received computer-based cybersecurity training. While 38% of employees worldwide received cybersecurity training through “newsletters and emails”. On the other hand, 33% of employees worldwide seemed to have escaped such boring types of training for cybersecurity by undergoing “cybersecurity-based contests and prizes” in 2024.
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FAQs
1. How does one measure training effectiveness?
There are many evaluation metrics one can use to know the effectiveness of a training program. However, this is mostly seen through process measures and learner outcomes. Course completion rates, level of job satisfaction, task performance, and test scores are ways to measure learner outcomes.
While hours of completed training, participant engagement, and trainer satisfaction are some ways to gauge process measures.
2. Is there a way to measure the value of training?
Yes, there is. One way would be to know how long a task is completed by participants before taking the training and after the training. Another is through the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that were set prior to conducting the training and seeing if they were actually met.