Blockchain is the top skill for 2020, LinkedIn says

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Blockchain has emerged as the leading hard skill sought by employers for 2020. In its latest report, the professional networking company found that blockchain was sought by employers more than cloud computing, artificial intelligence and UX design.

The annual report on the most in-demand skills by LinkedIn gives a comprehensive look on what employers are on the lookout for from their employees. In 2019, cloud computing led the list of hard skills, with artificial intelligence and analytical reasoning following suit. Blockchain wasn’t even in the top ten. However, in a complete change of fortunes, employers are now more interested in those possessing blockchain skills than any other skill.

LinkedIn pointed out that blockchain’s rise has been aided greatly by its breakout from its traditional financial industry connection and into other industries. Supply chain, gaming, pharmaceuticals, insurance and legal industries are all using the technology. This has opened up more opportunities and led to the skyrocketing of the demand in blockchain skills.

The demand for blockchain skills varies from one country to the next. However, in most leading economies such as the U.S., the U.K., Germany, France and Australia, it’s the most in-demand skill.

The report stated, “The business world, however, is voting with its jobs, and companies seem to be saying that the potential is worth the gamble. Blockchain has become a line of business for a who’s who of the corporate world — IBM, Oracle, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft (LinkedIn’s parent company), Amazon, and American Express, to name just a few. Blockchain is now being used in industries ranging from shipping to healthcare, from farming and food safety to entertainment and gaming.”

As CoinGeek reported, while the demand for blockchain skills has continued to skyrocket, the supply has waned. This is despite blockchain jobs having higher pay, with those in the U.S. offering twice the national average. In its ‘Emerging Jobs Report 2020’, LinkedIn revealed that blockchain developers were no longer on their list of top 15 emerging jobs. An earlier report by Indeed also found that searches related to blockchain have been on a decline for the past two years. In 2019, these searches went down 53%. In stark contrast, Indeed’s portal saw a steady increase in job postings for blockchain-related roles.