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Digitalisation

Digitalisation is the ongoing integration of digital technologies and digitised data across the economy and society. The twin green and digital transitions accelerate the pace of change affecting all aspects of our lives and will have many consequences for the future of work. Innovations and developments in advanced technologies are having significant effects in almost all areas of the economy. Work, its content, its organisation and design, its regulation and protection, are all undergoing change. This also often brings a blurring of boundaries between different dimensions of work and between work and non-work activity.

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From January to June 2022, Eurofound supported the work of France's presidency of the Council of the EU, providing valuable research results on specific topics linked with the presidency priorities.

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Automation and digitisation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive. The full range of their effects in the workplace is yet to be seen...

12 September 2023
Publication
Research report

Eurofound research

Eurofound research on anticipating and managing the impact of change will explore the impact of digitalisation on working life, as well as the links with the transition to a climate-neutral economy. This will cover employment levels, working conditionssocial protection and employment relations. In the context of restructuring and digitalisation, analysing the role of industrial relations and social dialogue in implementing such change is also important, as is the impact on society and citizens. 

The research will provide evidence on structural changes, driven largely by these megatrends, but also by the COVID-19 crisis, that can inform policy in ensuring just transitions which promote employment, good working conditions, social protection and workers’ rights, while also improving labour productivity, competitiveness and prosperity.

Digitalisation in the workplace

Research looks at the effects of the deployment of digitalisation at company level on employment and working conditions, including social protection. Research on automation and digitisation will build on previous research on game-changing technologies, the nature of work in digitised workplaces, employee monitoring and privacy at the workplace, as well as on data from the European Company Survey (ECS) 2019. Eurofound will analyse the impact of digitalisation on working life, looking at the human and ethical implications of digitalisation at the workplace, also in the aftermath of COVID-19, as well as exploring the characteristics and effects of human–machine interaction related to advanced robotics. 

Eurofound explores these topics in a body of work structured around three vectors of change in digitalisation – automation, digitisation and platforms – that are affecting employment and working conditions and social dialogue. The main results of this research have been compiled in an online resource, which presents a set of policy pointers, research digests and definitions, as well as an accompanying report. As it can be challenging to keep abreast of the constant advance of technology, the online resource has been created to provide policymakers, employers, workers and their representatives with insights on how digitalisation is reshaping employment and work. It will be updated over time in line with the developments in the society, economy, labour market and policy. 

 

As regards platform work, Eurofound’s platform economy repository will continue to monitor the evolution of this form of employment and business model. Based on this, specific research will, for example, explore initiatives tackling issues around employment and working conditions. 

 

Eurofound will build on previous research on working anytime and anywhere carried out in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO). This research considered the impact of telework and ICT-based mobile work on various elements of working conditions. It is planned to carry out an update of the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) data analysis in this area in 2021. 

Restructuring linked to megatrends in the economy

The European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) events database captures where restructuring is specifically linked to digitalisation and COVID-19. Similarly, the ERM support instruments and legal database are being expanded to covering restructuring-relevant information related to digitalisation, the transition to a climate-neutral economy and COVID-19. 

 

A specific strand of study will take a sectoral approach, for example in 2021/2022 exploring the work and employment impact of structural change in financial services. This is a sector that has been substantially affected by digitalisation and other megatrends, as well as by the COVID-19 crisis, altering the occupational structure in the sector. 

Future scenarios

Desirable future scenarios of potential developments driven by digitalisation or the transition to a climate-neutral economy will be explored. This will look at possible pathways and measures to achieve the desired outcomes and avoid disadvantageous ones.

Informing the policy debate

Research on the twin transition related to digitalisation and climate change could provide relevant information for policymakers seeking solutions to make markets work better for consumers, business, workers and society, for the sustainable development of cities and urban areas, and to support regions to improve their infrastructure and access to services.

Key outputs

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Automation and digitisation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive. The full range of their effects in the workplace is yet to be seen...

12 September 2023
Publication
Research report
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The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many...

26 September 2022
Publication
Research report

EU context

The European way to a digitalised economy and society is about solidarity, prosperity and sustainability, anchored in empowerment of its citizens and businesses, ensuring the security and resilience of its digital ecosystem and supply chains. Policymakers need to gain knowledge that will help to address questions about effective regulation, skills needs, how to ensure social protection in its broadest sense and balancing the demands of companies, societies and individuals in exploiting the great potential of digitalisation.

Responding to the way digital technology is changing the lives of EU citizens, one of the European Commission’s priorities for the period 2019–2024 is to create a Europe fit for the digital age, leading the transition to a healthy planet and a new digital world through its European Digital Strategy 2020–2025. Launched in February 2020, the Strategy aims to empower people with a new generation of technologies, helping to support the ‘just transition’ to a climate-neutral Europe via the European Green Deal. 

As part of its Digital Services Act package, published on 15 December 2020, the Commission proposed two legislative initiatives to upgrade rules governing digital services in the EU: the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). These initiatives will change the way companies offer and use digital services. In response to the rapid development of platform work in the EU, after consulting with the social partners the Commission proposed new rules to protect people working through digital platforms in December 2021. The Council of the EU adopted its position on the proposals in June 2023, and will enter into negotiations with the European Parliament. 

On 9 March 2021, the Commission issued its Communication setting out the vision for Europe’s digital decade, outlining a clear compass towards a successful digital transformation by 2030 in areas such as connectivity, skills and digital public services.

In 2020, the European social partners approved an autonomous framework agreement on digitalisation. 

 

Eurofound’s work on digitalisation links in with the Commission’s 2019–2024 priority on a Europe fit for the digital age. 

 

Eurofound expert(s)

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Sara Riso is a research manager in the Working Life unit at Eurofound. She is involved in research projects in the areas of employment change and restructuring. She joined...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
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Tina Weber is a research manager in Eurofound’s Working Life unit. Having previously shared her time between the Employment and Working Life units, her work has focused on labour...

Research manager,
Working life research unit
Publications results (43)

Automation and digitisation technologies, including artificial intelligence, are rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly powerful and pervasive. The full range of their effects in the workplace is yet to be seen. It is, however, important not only to explore the ethical implications of digital te

12 September 2023

This report addresses the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on social services in the EU. While the pandemic negatively affected social services, it nevertheless provided lessons on how to adapt them in response to new challenges and social risks. One lesson, for instance, is that policies should be dev

16 August 2023

The rise of the platform economy during the last decade is one of the main disrupting forces for European labour markets. While standard employment remains the norm, platforms are expanding their reach and diversifying into novel business models. In doing so, they are also attracting an increasing

16 May 2023

On request by the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Eurofound prepared a background paper as a basis for the discussion at the informal Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) meeting on 3-4 May 2023. The paper outlines some of the key challenges

04 May 2023

As economies begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, labour shortages are becoming increasingly evident despite the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy and commodity prices. These include shortages exacerbated by the crisis in some sectors and professions where they had been endemic for some

28 March 2023

This report presents Eurofound’s research on telework during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. It explores changes in the incidence of telework, working conditions experienced by employees working from home and changes to regulations addressing issues related to this working arrangement.

08 December 2022

The retail banking sector is fertile ground for studying the impacts of digitalisation on work and employment. Financial services are increasingly provided online, without the intermediary of customer-facing institutions. Many banks in the sector have been undergoing serial restructuring since the g

26 September 2022

In collecting information on essential services, the European Commission requested Eurofound to provide input on certain aspects of existing and planned measures in the Member States to improve access to essential services in reference to Principle 20 of the European Pillar of Social Rights. For

07 September 2022

Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns. Recently, the policy debate surrounding these concerns has become more prominent and has

30 May 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic continued to be a defining force in the lives and work of Europeans for a second year in 2021, and Eurofound continued its work of examining and recording the many and diverse impacts across the EU Member States. Living and working in Europe 2021 provides a snapshot of the

09 May 2022

Online resources results (25)
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Bank restructuring: disruptors versus incumbents

While high-street banks reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating the push to digitalisation and cutting jobs, some digital-only banks are recruiting new staff to meet growing demand. An example is the ‘disruptor’ bank Revolut which has recently announced the creation of 1,000 jobs worldwide

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Twin transition and pandemic challenge Eurofound to increase expertise, strengthen partnerships, expand reach, says new Director

Eurofound welcomed Ivailo Kalfin to his new role as Executive Director on 1 June. After one month in the job, he reflects on the challenges facing the EU, how they will impact on the work of Eurofound and his priorities for shaping the Agency over the next five years.

Telework, ICT-based mobile work in Europe: Trends, challenges and the right to disconnect 11 March 2021 - EMCO virtual meeting hosted by the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union Presentation by Oscar Vargas Llave, Research Manager, Eurofound

16 March 2021

Working remotely: An overview of trends, opportunities, challenges and risks 9 March 2021 Presentation by Irene Mandl, Head of unit - Employment, Eurofound

9 March 2021

Connecting and disconnecting and work-life balance 9 March 2021 Presentation by Tina Weber, Research manager - Employment unit, Eurofound

9 March 2021
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Coronavirus highlights sick pay void for platform workers

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is starting to have a serious impact on the world economy. The consequences for platform workers are especially severe in light of forced work stoppages due to self-isolation and lack of sick pay in many cases. Recent media coverage shows that platform workers in

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Amazon’s expansion in Europe

The U.S. online retail giant Amazon is investing heavily in Europe, creating 11,580 jobs in 2018 alone. As Europe turns towards e-commerce, automation and digitalisation, Amazon will play a key role in reshaping the retail sector. But its impacts are unlikely to be confined to retail alone.


Blogs results (23)
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The platform economy is one of those moving targets, which, despite receiving increasing media and policy attention, has proven difficult to regulate. Given the heterogeneity of employment relationships, business models, types of platform work and cross-border issues, this is not surprising. Yet, in

27 September 2022
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Telework has become a permanent feature of working life in Europe. While we’ve seen the benefits of more flexible ways of working – particularly during the pandemic – the problems that arise from an increasingly connected life are also becoming clearer. Unfortunately, legislation alone may not be

13 July 2022
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The answer is yes – potentially. Assessing the environmental benefits of telework is a complex task, because any move to work from home involves a series of changes in individuals’ daily lives and activities, as well as company-level decisions, that may positively or negatively influence the level

23 June 2022
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Whether it is couch surfing, baby-sitting, pizza delivery or getting Ikea furniture assembled by somebody who can do it better, platforms can mediate all kinds of voluntary or professional services. Platform work is at the heart of the ‘sharing economy’. But while this may sound like a new form of

31 March 2022
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When it comes to Europe’s COVID-19 recovery and its aspiration to build back a more resilient society, the so-called green and digital transitions have dominated EU policy discussions. And as Eurofound made preparations for the 2022 Foundation Forum – a unique occasion for high-level debate on the

11 March 2022
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The advent of AI has far more consequences for how work is organised, performed and valued than any previous technological revolution. In order to make the most of this digital transformation we need inclusive and nuanced policy debates on its employment effects and how to future-proof policies: we

8 December 2021
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The massive and rapid adoption of telework in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 lockdowns exposed gaps in the legislation governing telework arrangements across the EU Member States. In some cases, there was no regulation in place; in others, it was too restrictive. Governments scrambled to put

31 May 2021
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While 2020 may come to be seen as the year platform work gathered pace and started to go mainstream – thanks in large part to COVID-19 containment measures sparking an increase in food and grocery delivery – 2021 could be the year that regulation of platform work is set in motion. The well-known

24 February 2021
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The COVID-19 pandemic compelled governments to take exceptional measures to monitor and control the spread of the Coronavirus. Among them was the introduction in most EU Member States of tracking apps to gather data on citizens who have contracted the virus and to trace their contacts, a measure

13 January 2021
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​​​​​​​With remote working becoming the new normal for many workers, it is surely the case that many employers are anxious to ensure that their employees are putting in full working days. Companies are likely to be investing in and deploying digital technologies for tracking employee performance

9 December 2020

Upcoming publications results (5)

This report reviews the quality of the national social partners’ involvement in the implementation of the reforms and investments shaping the digital and green transition in the context of national policymaking. These reforms and investments stem mainly from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

March 2025

This report investigates regional employment dynamics in Europe before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the subsequent recovery from the crisis. Almost 90% of regions across the EU had exceeded their pre-pandemic employment levels by 2022. However, significant regional disparities in emp

August 2024

Over the last decade, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the way employees work and communicate with each other. Despite the many benefits of digitalisation of work, the widespread access to digital devices in working life provides an alternative medium for new forms of a

August 2024

The interaction between workers and machines has increased due to the rapid advancement of automation technologies. The new wave of robots can perform tasks with more flexibility, greater sophistication and in a way that protects workers’ physical safety. Drawing on case studies of advanced robotics

July 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Research report

Employment levels in the EU27 recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic shock in 2020–2021 much faster than after the global financial crisis (2008–2010). This was despite the immediate job loss effects of the two crises being of comparable scale. This report summarises structural developments in Europea

March 2024
Forthcoming
Publication
Eurofound research paper
Data results (1)
24 October 2023
Reference period:

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