Working in future - structures and trends in industrial work

"The future of employment" is a broad area of study including sub-areas such as virtual companies and production in networks, the use of new technology associ-ated with new forms of cooperation, integration of production and services, demo-graphic change and the labour market. At the enterprise level, the focus is particu-larly on new models of organisation and work organisation. Currently, the debate is framed primarily in terms of labour market policy, and the opportunities of fu-ture developments are being inadequately appreciated and evaluated. For the pur-pose of Technology Assessment it was decided to change the perspective and look at the topic of "work in the future". The shift in perspective pays more attention to technology-related trends and need-oriented questions (demands in terms of sus-tainability, the changing role of women in employment etc.) (TAB working report No. 113)