Impact of digital transformation on the EU labour market: High level group recommends skilled workforce, new labour relations, and new social contract

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The high level group on the impact of digital transformation on EU labour markets has today handed over its report to Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, and Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, unveiling its list of recommendations. Commissioner Thyssen welcomed the report: “The report confirms that we have taken the right path towards modernising our labour and social policies. It emphasises the importance of skills, working conditions, and social protection similar to what we have set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights. We have already made progress with the implementation of the Pillar by making the Skills Agenda reality, adopting the Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive and the recommendation on Access to social protection. In the coming months we will examine the report and identify policy gaps where we could further our policy agenda. We will provide further impetus to this debate with the High-level Conference on Future of Work taking place tomorrow.” Commissioner Gabriel added: “We have to work closer together than ever before to close the digital skills gap. It will be crucial for our societies and economies to thrive in the increasingly digital world and meet new challenges, such as artificial intelligence. A big part of our efforts should also be focused on increasing women’s participation in the digital sector and supporting lifelong learning projects.” Among their recommendations,the experts call upon different actors on the labour market to reduce structural skill gaps, especially for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), workers at risk of automation and the low-skilled. Personal learning trajectories should allow workers to acquire relevant skills throughout their careers in order to keep up with rapidly transforming, digital labour markets. New labour relations should intensify and better organise dialogue of workers and social partners, especially in the platform economy. Social protection against unemployment, sickness and other life circumstances should be accessible independent of employment status. More information on the report can be found here.

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