Future of Work: High-level conference discussed how the EU can face challenges and grasp opportunities

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Hosted by the European Commission, yesterday’s conference “The Future of Work: Today. Tomorrow. For All.” steered an open discussion on the main changes taking place in the world of work. At the Conference hosted by President Jean-Claude Juncker, Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, around 500 participants, among them Ministers, representatives from EU institutions and agencies, national governments, social partners, civil society and academia explored how to best harness changes in the world of work for the benefit of workers, businesses, society and the economy alike. The transformations that are taking place at a fast pace have prompted the European Union to take action to ensure that Europe’s employment and social policies remain fit for the world of today and tomorrow. President Juncker‘s keynote address can be watched on EbS+ and is accessible here. Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President for the Euro and Social Dialogue, said: “Rapid technological development and the digital transformation have the potential to increase economic growth. But it must be inclusive growth – and the key to that is to keep Europe on the path of upward convergence. It is by winning the ‘race to the top’ that we can enhance economic and social cohesion across the EU.” Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, underlined: “In a changing world of work, we cannot just expect people to get ready for and adapt to change. We, as policy makers, must also adapt our social institutions, our rulebooks and education systems to support people, so that people can be confident about their future, and the future of their children, also in the new world of work.” A press release listing the 10 main takeaways from the Conference can be found here. Vice-President Dombrovskis and Commissioner Thyssen‘s press point concluding the Conference is also available on EbS. A range of factsheets on the achievements of the Juncker Commission in the field of employment and social affairs is published here.

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