Book

The new world of work: Challenges and opportunities for social partners and labour institutions

31 December 2021

This book examines social dialogue and the role of social partners in the governance of the world of work in 34 European countries.

International Journal of Labour Research

COVID-19 and Recovery: The Role of Trade Unions in Building Forward Better

24 June 2021

This year's International Journal of Labour Research explores strategies for workers and their organizations to shape COVID-19 response policies as well as adapting internally to provide vital services to workers and continue fulfilling their societal role as advocate for social justice and workers’ rights. As such, the journal reveals key findings on various topics that are of special interest to trade unions and provide guidance on policies in building forward better.

World Employment and Social Outlook 2021

The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work

23 February 2021

This ILO flagship report explores how the contemporary platform economy is transforming the way work is organized, and analyses the impact of digital labour platforms on enterprises, workers and society as a whole.

World Employment and Social Outlook 2021

The role of digital labour platforms in transforming the world of work [Summary]

23 February 2021

This report examines how digital labour platforms are transforming the world of work and how that affects employers and workers. It focuses on two main types of digital labour platform: online web-based platforms, where tasks are performed online and remotely by workers, and location-based platforms, where tasks are performed at a specified physical location by individuals, such as taxi drivers and delivery workers.

International Labour Review, Vol. 158 (2019), No. 4

Introduction: What does the future promise for work, employment and society?

23 November 2019

In introducing this double Special Issue, the authors draw on the articles contained therein to highlight the main areas for consideration in research on the future of work. They present the fast-paced changes affecting the world of work as offering an opportunity to move towards equality-inducing growth, while warning of the dangers posed by mismanaged technological change, inequalities (highlighting the persistent and intersectional nature of gender inequality), global supply chains and opportunities for social dialogue. In this light, they also propose policy recommendations focusing on strengthening worker protection and representative institutions, rethinking regulatory frameworks and taxation systems, and ensuring just transitions.

Research Department Working Paper n°47

Decent work in global supply chains: An internal research review

08 October 2019

This article provides an inventory of the research carried out by the ILO on decent work in GSCs between 2014 and 2019 and helps to identify the challenges and remaining gaps in terms of research.

EMPLOYMENT Working Paper No. 246

"Negotiating the algorithm”: Automation, artificial intelligence and labour protection

10 July 2018

Research Department Working Paper n°29

The Future of Work: A Literature Review

17 April 2018

An enormous amount of literature has emerged over the last few years in the context of the “Future of Work”. Academics, think tanks and policy makers have fuelled rich discussions about how the future of work might look like and how we can shape it. Indeed, labour markets in developing and developed countries are likely to undergo major transformations in the next years and decades. However, despite a growing body of research in this area, there exists no universally accepted definition of what exactly the “Future of Work” encompasses and what the most relevant drivers are.

Employment Policy Brief

New automation technologies and job creation and destruction dynamics

12 May 2017

This policy brief addresses the following question: is the labour-replacing potential of the technological revolution so far-reaching that it is inherently different from what has been experienced in the past, and on balance is an inhibitor rather than a generator of decent work?

Publication

The glass industry: recent trends and changes in working conditions and employment relations

23 December 2015

At its 317th Session in March 2013, the ILO Governing Body instructed the Office to conduct a research study on technological progress in the glass industry and its impact on employment structure in the industry.