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Globalisation, technological progress and demographic change are having a profound impact on OECD labour markets, affecting both the quantity and quality of jobs that are available, as well as how and by whom they are carried out. The future of work offers unparalleled opportunities, but there are also significant challenges associated with these mega-trends. While it is difficult (if not counter-productive) to try and plan in detail for the potential changes that might affect the world of work in years to come, it is important that policy makers strengthen the resilience and adaptability of labour markets so that workers and countries can manage the transition with the least possible disruption, while maximising the potential benefits. Against this backdrop, the OECD Future of Work initiative looks at how demographic change, globalisation and technological progress are affecting job quantity and quality, as well as labour market inclusiveness - and what this means for labour market, skills and social policy.

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The Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People | Recommandation sur l’amélioration des perspectives offertes aux jeunes (2022)

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What are the jobs at risk of automation? Where are the skills imbalances? Which sectors face the largest occupational shortages?

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Publications

Employment Outlook: Artificial Intelligence and Jobs (forthcoming 11 July 2023)
AI and the Future of Skills, Volume 1: Capabilities and Assessments (Nov 2021)
OECD Employment Outlook 2021: Navigating the COVID-19 Crisis and Recovery (July 2021)
Domestic outsourcing is growing across OECD countries and may bring risks for job quality and inequality (July 2021)
The Future for Low-Educated Workers in Belgium (September 2020)
Employment Outlook 2020 (July 2020)
Summary Report - Expert Meeting on Collective Bargaining for Own-Account Workers (January 2020)
Individual Learning Accounts - Panacea or Pandora's Box? (November 2019)
Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work
OECD contributes evidence to the Netherlands Independent Commission on the Regulation of Work (June 2019)
What is happening to middle-skilled workers? - (June 2019)
Policy Responses to New Forms of Work [PPT] (March 2019)
Do digital skill certificates help new workers enter the market? (February 2019)
Getting Skills Right: Future-ready adult learning systems (February 2019)
The Future of Social Protection: What Works for Non-standard Workers? (November 2018)
Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018: Preparing for the Future of Work (September 2018)
Employment Outlook 2017 Chapter 3: How technology and globalisation are transforming the labour market (June 2017)
Future of work and skills - Presented at the 2nd Meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group (February 2017)
The Future for Low-Educated Workers in Belgium (September 2020)
Employment Outlook 2020 (July 2020)
Summary Report - Expert Meeting on Collective Bargaining for Own-Account Workers (January 2020)
Individual Learning Accounts - Panacea or Pandora's Box? (November 2019)
Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work
OECD contributes evidence to the Netherlands Independent Commission on the Regulation of Work (June 2019)
What is happening to middle-skilled workers? - (June 2019)
Policy Responses to New Forms of Work [PPT] (March 2019)
Do digital skill certificates help new workers enter the market? (February 2019)
Getting Skills Right: Future-ready adult learning systems (February 2019)
The Future of Social Protection: What Works for Non-standard Workers? (November 2018)
Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018: Preparing for the Future of Work (September 2018)
Employment Outlook 2017 Chapter 3: How technology and globalisation are transforming the labour market (June 2017)
Future of work and skills - Presented at the 2nd Meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group (February 2017)
The Future for Low-Educated Workers in Belgium (September 2020)
Employment Outlook 2020 (July 2020)
Summary Report - Expert Meeting on Collective Bargaining for Own-Account Workers (January 2020)
Individual Learning Accounts - Panacea or Pandora's Box? (November 2019)
Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work
OECD contributes evidence to the Netherlands Independent Commission on the Regulation of Work (June 2019)
What is happening to middle-skilled workers? - (June 2019)
Policy Responses to New Forms of Work [PPT] (March 2019)
Do digital skill certificates help new workers enter the market? (February 2019)
Getting Skills Right: Future-ready adult learning systems (February 2019)
The Future of Social Protection: What Works for Non-standard Workers? (November 2018)
Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018: Preparing for the Future of Work (September 2018)
Employment Outlook 2017 Chapter 3: How technology and globalisation are transforming the labour market (June 2017)
Future of work and skills - Presented at the 2nd Meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group (February 2017)
The Future for Low-Educated Workers in Belgium (September 2020)
Employment Outlook 2020 (July 2020)
Summary Report - Expert Meeting on Collective Bargaining for Own-Account Workers (January 2020)
Individual Learning Accounts - Panacea or Pandora's Box? (November 2019)
Employment Outlook 2019: The Future of Work
OECD contributes evidence to the Netherlands Independent Commission on the Regulation of Work (June 2019)
What is happening to middle-skilled workers? - (June 2019)
Policy Responses to New Forms of Work [PPT] (March 2019)
Do digital skill certificates help new workers enter the market? (February 2019)
Getting Skills Right: Future-ready adult learning systems (February 2019)
The Future of Social Protection: What Works for Non-standard Workers? (November 2018)
Job Creation and Local Economic Development 2018: Preparing for the Future of Work (September 2018)
Employment Outlook 2017 Chapter 3: How technology and globalisation are transforming the labour market (June 2017)
Future of work and skills - Presented at the 2nd Meeting of the G20 Employment Working Group (February 2017)

Policy Briefs

Teleworking: working policies and trust (March, 2023)
Artificial Intelligence and Employment: New evidence from occupations most exposed to AI (Dec 2021)
Same job, different badge: The rise of domestic outsourcing across OECD countries (November 2021)
What happened to jobs at high risk of automation (Jan 2021)
What have platforms done to protect workers during the coronavirus (COVID 19) crisis?, (September 2020)
Individual Learning Accounts: Design is key for success (November 2019)
Online work in OECD countries (December 2018)
The Future of Social Protection: What works for non-standard workers? (May 2018)
Putting faces to the jobs at risk of automation (March 2018)
(July 2017)
Basic Income as a Policy Option: Can it add up? (May 2017). en français More information: Figures and Data, Presentation and Technical Background Note
Skills for a digital world (December 2016)
Automation and Independent Work in a Digital Economy (May 2016) - en français

Working Papers

Defining and classifying AI in the workplace (2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 290 OECD Publishing, Paris.
The impact of AI on the workplace: Evidence from OECD case studies of AI implementation (2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 289 OECD Publishing, Paris.
The impact of AI on the workplace: Main findings from the OECD AI surveys of employers and workers,(2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 288 OECD Publishing, Paris.
The supply, demand and characteristics of the AI workforce across OECD countries, (2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 287 OECD Publishing, Paris.
Six questions about the demand for artificial intelligence skills in labour markets, (2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 286 OECD Publishing, Paris.
Artificial intelligence and labout market matching, (2023), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 284 OECD Publishing, Paris.
What skills and abilities can automation technologies replicate and what does it mean for workers?: New evidence (Dec 2022), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 282 OECD Publishing, Paris.
Labour-saving technologies and employment levels: Are robots really making workers redundant? (2022), OECD Science, Technology and Industry Policy Papers, No. 124, OECD Publishing, Paris.
The role of telework for productivity during and post-COVID-19: Results from an OECD survey among managers and workers (2021), OECD Productivity Working Papers, No. 31, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Demand for AI skills in jobs: Evidence from online job postings (2021), OECD Science, Technology and Industry Working Papers, No. 2021/03, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Artificial intelligence and employment: New cross-country evidence (2021), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Paper, No. 265, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Technological change and domestic outsourcing (2021), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 264, OECD Publishing, Paris.
The impact of AI on the labour market: What do we know so far? (2021), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 256, OECD Publishing, Paris.
What happened to jobs at high risk of automation? (2021), OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 255, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Individualising training access schemes: France – the Compte Personnel de Formation (Personal Training Account – CPF) (2020) OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 245, OECD Publishing, Paris. (also in french)
Under employment, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 234, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Job polarisation and the middle class, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 233, OECD Publishing, Paris.
What is happening to middle skills workers?, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 230, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Taxation and the future of work: How tax systems influence choice of employment form, OECD Taxation Working Papers, No. 41, OECD Publishing, Paris. (Annex)
Automation, skills use and training, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 202, OECD Publishing, Paris.
The effect of computer use on job quality: Evidence from Europe, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 200, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Labour Market Polarization in Advanced Countries : Impact of Global Value Chains, Technology, Import Competition from China and Labour Market Institutions, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 197, Éditions OCDE, Paris.
Structural Transformation in the OECD : Digitalisation, Deindustrialisation and the Future of Work, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 193, OECD Publishing, Paris.
The Risk of Automation for Jobs in OECD Countries: A Comparative Analysis, OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers, No. 189, OECD Publishing, Paris.

Events

2023 International Conference on AI in Work, Innovation, Productivity and Skills
2022 International event on AI in Work, Innovation, Productivity and Skills

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