What is the future of work?

Thinking about the future of work gives rise to several important questions. 1. Is it inevitable that labour market polarisation will continue , as jobs concentrate at either end (high-skilled, well-paid jobs; low-skilled, poorly paid jobs), intermediate jobs are destroyed and, as a result, social mobility declines? Will technological progress continue to amplify labour market polarisation? Is an improvement in skills conducive to the creation of intermediate jobs? 2. The crisis has brought into relief the social utility of low-skilled and very poorly paid jobs, while also driving increased rejection of arduous jobs and jobs with unusual hours. Will these two developments lead to a sharp increase in low wages? Would this be possible without destroying low-skilled jobs? How can workers be attracted back to arduous jobs? 3. Are we really moving towards a proliferation of employment statuses over an individual ’ s lifetime (employee, self-employed, entrepreneur, etc.)? Is a rise in the proportion of self-employed people in employment inevitable? 4. Will the organisation of work shift towards greater autonomy and fewer vertical hierarchies? Will this be encouraged by the rapid development of working from home?