Digitalisation of the economy and its impact on labour markets —

<strong>Digitalisation</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>economy</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>its</strong> <strong>impact</strong> on labour markets
Introduction
A new debate is causing ferment not only in academia but also in politics <strong>and</strong>
<strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong> labour in both <strong>the</strong> United States <strong>and</strong> Europe. This debate,
symbolised by <strong>the</strong> irruption <strong>of</strong> Uber in <strong>the</strong> passenger transport sector, signals
– according to some – an end to waged labour, <strong>the</strong> total liberalisation <strong>of</strong>
services, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> extension <strong>of</strong> worldwide competition far beyond any <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Bolkestein directive’s proponents’ wildest dreams. It will put an end to social
models as we know <strong>the</strong>m in Europe: no more labour law or working time
regulation; no more hours’ schedules or <strong>of</strong>fices; no dismissal procedures (but
instead internet accounts disconnected by decision <strong>of</strong> some start-up
somewhere); <strong>and</strong> no more collective labour action.
O<strong>the</strong>rs regard this vision as exaggeratedly pessimistic; <strong>the</strong>y see <strong>the</strong> onset <strong>of</strong> a
digitalised <strong>economy</strong> as a harbinger <strong>of</strong> new opportunities, whe<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong>
services sector – where <strong>the</strong> emergence <strong>of</strong> collaborative projects will be
facilitated, with a premium on use value ra<strong>the</strong>r than ownership (shared use <strong>of</strong>
costly goods such as cars, housing, tools), on repair ra<strong>the</strong>r than replacement,
on local or shared financing ra<strong>the</strong>r than bank loans – or in industry where
increasingly intelligent production lines will volatise worker input to produce
a new form <strong>of</strong> cooperation between humans <strong>and</strong> machines. Here we have a
new economic model entailing zero marginal cost that in no time at all will
become <strong>the</strong> driver <strong>of</strong> powerful economic growth <strong>and</strong> strong job creation.
How are we to see with any clarity what is entailed by such a rapidly evolving
scenario? In <strong>the</strong> following paragraphs we will attempt to establish <strong>the</strong> current
state <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> debate using some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> main publications that have appeared in
<strong>the</strong> last two or three years in <strong>the</strong> United States <strong>and</strong> Europe.
In a first part, we sketch out <strong>the</strong> general context: what is meant by <strong>the</strong> digital
<strong>economy</strong>, by Big Data, or internet platforms? And what are <strong>the</strong> new
possibilities <strong>the</strong>reby opened up?
In <strong>the</strong> second part we tackle some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> specific questions raised by <strong>the</strong>se
developments in <strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong> labour in particular:
— regarding <strong>the</strong> labour market: does <strong>the</strong> digital <strong>economy</strong> destroy more jobs
than it creates? Do we have any way <strong>of</strong> predicting <strong>the</strong> net outcome?
— concerning <strong>the</strong> status <strong>of</strong> workers: are we all about to become selfemployed?
Is this <strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> wage labour or <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> new <strong>and</strong>
more flexible forms <strong>of</strong> employment more in keeping with <strong>the</strong> wishes <strong>of</strong>
workers <strong>the</strong>mselves?
WP 2016.02
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