| Title | Labour markets and the future of work |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Christopher Pissarides (author) |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.31389/lsepress.tlc.h |
| Landing page | https://doi.org/10.31389/lsepress.tlc.h |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
| Copyright | Author(s) |
| Publisher | LSE Press |
| Published on | 2025-10-16 |
| Short abstract | New technologies are causing a restructuring of labour markets in many countries. While much has been written on how these technologies may destroy jobs, this chapter argues that they do not threaten the end of work but they will require extensive worker transitions. While some of the new job tasks that will be created in the digital economy will require skills at an advanced level with a strong scientific base, it is a basic knowledge of these technologies that will be required practically everywhere in the labour market. The chapter discusses the way in which both companies and governments have a role to play in meeting the challenge of achieving these transitions, in face of increasing demand for ‘good work’. This chapter includes responses to Christopher Pissarides by Kirsten Sehnbruch. |
| Long abstract | New technologies are causing a restructuring of labour markets in many countries. While much has been written on how these technologies may destroy jobs, this chapter argues that they do not threaten the end of work but they will require extensive worker transitions. While some of the new job tasks that will be created in the digital economy will require skills at an advanced level with a strong scientific base, it is a basic knowledge of these technologies that will be required practically everywhere in the labour market. The chapter discusses the way in which both companies and governments have a role to play in meeting the challenge of achieving these transitions, in face of increasing demand for ‘good work’. This chapter includes responses to Christopher Pissarides by Kirsten Sehnbruch. |
| Language | English (Original) |
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Sir Christopher Pissarides is the Regius Professor of Economics at LSE, the Professor of European Studies at the University of Cyprus and the co-chair of the Institute for the Future of Work. He specialises in the economics of labour markets, economic growth, and structural change, especially as they relate to market imperfections, where his work has been internationally influential. He has recently worked extensively on the employment implications of automation and artificial intelligence for the future of work. In 2010 Sir Christopher was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the labour market, sharing it with Dale Mortensen of Northwestern University and Peter Diamond of MIT. He has since been honoured with several other awards, prizes, and society fellowships. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2013.
Kirsten Sehnbruch is a Global Professor of the British Academy and a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the International Inequalities Institute at LSE. Previously, she was a Research Fellow at the Universidad de Chile, and a Senior Lecturer at UC, Berkeley. Kirsten works on conceptualising and measuring poor-quality employment in both developing and advanced economies, particularly in Latin America and European countries. Her work has been replicated by the World Bank’s study on Global Job Quality, and by the UN’s study on poor-quality employment in Latin America. Her current work focuses on how the intensity of employment deprivations determines the extent to which workers in poor-quality employment get stuck in ‘bad jobs’. She further argues that the most vulnerable workers will likely be affected by the increased adoption of new technologies and machine learning at the workplace. Kirsten has collaborated with governments, international development institutions and non-governmental organisations in Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Her work has been published by multiple journals, such as World Development, The Cambridge Journal of Economics, Development and Change, Regional Studies and Social Indicators Review.