Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center

How is the labor market changing?

Today, digital technologies play an important role in people's lives. They not only improve the efficiency of the labor market, but also reduce the time and resources needed to find a job and hire employees. Digitalization of the labor market contributes to the spread of non–standard forms of labor relations, which, on the one hand, create an inclusive environment for employees, and on the other hand, aggravate social protection issues. The next issue of trendletters of the Institute for Statistical Research and Economics of Knowledge, produced as part of a joint project of the Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center and the UNESCO Futures Studies Chair (UNESCO Futures Literacy Chairs network), is devoted to recent transformations of the labor market.

How is the labor market changing?

For reference: This series of trendletters continues the practice of publishing reviews of global technological trends since 2014 and presents a unique database of global trends and challenges in the field of human development. This research of the HSE ISSEK is based on the results of iFORA Big Data System, the Delphi survey (with the participation of more than 400 leading foreign and Russian scientists), expert sessions and interviews.

Digitalization of the labor market leads to the spread of non–standard forms of labor relations. On the one hand, it creates an inclusive environment for employees, and on the other hand, contributes to the aggravation of social protection issues. Thus, the development of digital technologies makes it possible to transfer part of labor relations to a digital environment, which completely changes the labor market and popularizes such forms of employment like partial and remote, freelance, platform employment, outsourcing, employee sharing, etc.

The use of non-standard forms of employment leads to positive socio–economic shifts, one of which is an increase in inclusiveness in the labor market, but at the same time it is associated with its destabilization and new risks (first of all, for employees). People are more vulnerable to the loss of jobs and social guarantees, especially in times of crisis.

According to the European Fund for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, during the pandemic, most jobs were created in the field of ‘complex’, non-standard employment (excessively shortened working hours, short-time contracts, casual earnings, etc.). Inefficient regulation of non-standard forms of employment can lead to precarization of labor, that is loss of social and labor rights and guarantees by employees.

The new issue is available via the link

Previous issues of trendletters can be found here.