Project theme 5

Future labour market: Digitization, atypical employment and challenges for agreements and legislation

Because digitization results in some jobs and job functions being automated and others being replaced, there is a need for new forms of continuing training. Atypical employment – also linked to digital platforms – includes opportunities for both employers and employees in the form of increased flexibility and a stepping-stone to full-time employment. However, atypical employees (often part-time employees with few weekly working hours), fixed-term employees and temp agency workers have a lower-than-average degree of unionization and collective coverage on the labour market. In addition, trends suggest that more Danes will combine an employment relationship with income as a self-employed worker, including jobs via digital platforms. Hence, digitization and atypical forms of employment pose questions for existing agreements and legislation. During the research programme period, we will focus on issues like the following:

  • digital platforms as agents for labour market integration for weaker groups
  • digital automation, employment and continuing education
  • hybrid work and the Danish model;
  • how labour market organizations relate to atypical employees
  • where atypical employees are employed, how and why.