Are robots taking our jobs? The impact of new technology on work and skills in the EU – Based on Eurofound’s project on the Future of Manufacturing in Europe and related research on the task content of jobs, the panel will explore how technological progress and other drivers of change are transforming the nature of work throughout the economy. Speakers will respond to questions on the impact of digital developments on employment; whether technological progress means robots are becoming smarter than humans or is it that tasks in work are changing and new skills are required to perform them. It will also look at how shaping these developments can promote economic growth and improve working conditions.

Shaping the future for platform workers in the EU: Opportunities and challenges Platform work – the online matching of the supply of and demand for paid work remains small-scale in Europe but is evolving rapidly. While challenging established institutions and structures, this employment form provides opportunities for the labour market, economy and society. Based on recent Eurofound research which identifies specific types of platform work, bringing the discussions on working and employment conditions to a new – more nuanced – level, a panel made up of government and social partner representatives will discuss the potential positive and negative implications of platform work and ideas of how to deal with them, to reap the benefits and avoid drawbacks.

Main topics:

Two LIVE panel sessions from Eurofound on Tuesday 4 December, 15:00-17:00 CET:

16:00 CET

Welcome and introduction by Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of Working Life Unit, Eurofound

16:10 CET

Are robots taking our jobs? The impact of new technology on work and skills in the EU

Donald Storrie, Chief Researcher, Eurofound
Martina Bisello, Research Officer, Eurofound

17:00 CET

Introduction to session 2 by Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of Working Life Unit, Eurofound

17:05 CET

Shaping the future for platform workers in the EU: Challenges and opportunities

Moderator: Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of Working Life Unit, Eurofound

Irene Mandl, Head of the Employment Unit, Eurofound
Rhona Murphy, Head of Employment Law Services, IBEC, Ireland’s employer organisation
Louis-Charles Viossat, Representative of the Social Affairs Committee, French Government.

17:35 CET

Concluding remarks and closing session

Moderator: Barbara Gerstenberger, Head of Working Life Unit, Eurofound

How the EU is tackling challenges and shaping the future of work

Juan Menéndez-Valdés, Director, Eurofound