Analysis

Look to the Nordic nations for what this implies—priority to active labour market practices to support citizens in bouncing forward from job loss, emphasis in educational systems on helping individuals to learn from adversity, as well as developing organizational agility.

Some countries appear to push the responsibility for resilience down to cities, communities, and individuals. At the societal level, high performers succeed because of more than resources—institutional trust, whole-of-society preparedness, and lateral coordination are vital. Five enablers are apparent in frameworks to capture resilience—anticipatory capacity, reliable state infrastructure; trustworthy/inclusive institutions, civic engagement with supportive leadership, and systemic cross-sector coordination—offering levers such as rotational mobility, inter-ministerial task forces, and projectized problem-solving to turn disruption into adaptation.

The Generalist Adaptive Skills dimension operationalizes this idea within the talent framework, emphasizing that broad-based, transferable capabilities—spanning soft skills, digital literacy, and innovation-oriented thinking—are now central to national talent outcomes. As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes the nature of work and skill demand, the capacity to integrate AI tools, think critically about their use, and combine technological fluency with human-centric soft skills becomes indispensable. Economies that cultivate adaptable, cross-functional, and AI-literate workforces tend to be better positioned to convert disruption into opportunity and sustain long-term competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

Their strong performance reflects sustained investments in education quality, workplace collaboration, and innovation-oriented cultures that nurture adaptability and interpersonal effectiveness. Notably, the Philippines stands out as the only lower middle-income economy in the soft skills top ten, underscoring that human-centric capabilities—such as communication, teamwork, and adaptability—are increasingly vital drivers of talent competitiveness across all income groups.

High-income economies—particularly the Nordics—lead in household financial resilience, yet notable examples from low-income groups, such as Malawi and Mozambique, illustrate that resilience is not bound by income level. Instead, it can be cultivated through inclusive financial systems, social protection policies, and community-based mechanisms. Strengthening household financial resilience therefore emerges as a critical enabler of long-term, inclusive talent competitiveness.

This absence may indicate that, as countries move from middle to high-income status, institutional and education reforms often lag behind income growth. The resulting gap between economic advancement and talent-system maturity can limit competitiveness gains. While this may not yet represent a confirmed structural pattern, it suggests a transitional phase where stronger coordination between education, labour, and business policy could help sustain upward mobility in talent competitiveness.

At the top, long-standing strengths in institutional quality, education, and labour-market inclusiveness continue to generate resilience. At the bottom, several smaller economies demonstrate that incremental progress in human capital formation and openness can yield proportionally high returns. These results illustrate that outperformance can emerge from very different development contexts—from the institutional maturity of advanced economies to the adaptive capacity of low-income ones.

Economies such as Israel, Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Uzbekistan exemplify how strategic focus and effective talent systems can generate strong results with limited resources—proving that “doing more with less” is a defining feature of successful talent ecosystems. In contrast, mature economies such as Brazil, Bahrain, France, and the United Kingdom maintain balanced input-output relationships, reflecting steady and proportionate returns.

Only one mover (Jordan, 74th) represents Northern Africa and Western Asia, and none are found in Latin America and the Caribbean—underscoring continued challenges in translating education and social investment into labour-market outcomes. Meanwhile, several economies in Central and Southern Asia and Eastern, Southeastern Asia and Oceania exceed expectations, showing how openness, workforce agility, and targeted skill investments can lift competitiveness even where income remains modest.

Notably, five of the top ten economies in External Openness are from the Northern Africa and Western Asia region, underscoring the region’s growing influence as a global hub for international talent mobility and opportunity.