Virtually everywhere? Digitalisation and jobs in the euro area (Part 2)

How is AI changing what we do? What does a job in the platform economy look like? How will the coronavirus pandemic affect the way we work? Our host Michael Steen discusses these questions and more with economists Robert Anderton and Lara Vivian.

The views expressed are those of the speakers and not necessarily those of the European Central Bank.

Published on 29 September 2020 and recorded on 13 August 2020.

In this episode:

01:04 – Digitalisation and job polarisation

How digitalisation is changing our roles and how job polarisation is affecting different euro area countries.

04:47 – Zooming in on artificial intelligence

What the impact of AI is on jobs, what it means for the future of the job market and how AI is affecting different sectors.

06:57 – The platform economy

What the characteristics of the platform economy are, how it has increased in size over the past years and possible policy implications.

14:25 – Labour markets after coronavirus- the new normal?

How the pandemic could result in a permanent acceleration and take-up of digitalisation. Why this can pose challenges and provide new opportunities.

Further reading:

Virtually everywhere? Digitalisation and the euro area and EU economies

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpops/ecb.op244~2acc4f0b4e.en.pdf

Digitalisation and its impact on the economy: insights from a survey of large companies

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/economic-bulletin/focus/2018/html/ecb.ebbox201807_04.en.html

Study to monitor the economic development of the collaborative economy at sector level in the 28 EU Member States

https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/0cc9aab6-7501-11e8-9483-01aa75ed71a1

New evidence on platform workers in Europe

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/new-evidence-platform-workers-europe

Hours of work polarisation?

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scpwps/ecb.wp2324~3a8fca82b4.en.pdf

European Central Bank

https://www.ecb.europa.eu/home/html/index.en.html