Search Results for: labour market

Not just cuckoo clocks. Why Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country

Not just cuckoo clocks. Why Switzerland is the world’s most innovative country

by • Business, News, Technology

Switzerland retains its long-standing position as the world’s most innovative economy, followed closely by the United States, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and SingaporeIn Orson Welles’ famous scene-stealing cameo in The Third Man, his character Harry Lime comes out with that (in)famous speech about Swiss culture. “In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance,” he says. “In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.” This does the Swiss a disservice in a number of ways, not least that a major new report claims that Switzerland is maintaining a long tradition as the most innovative country in the world. (more…)

Yale study finds little evidence that AI is taking people’s jobs

Yale study finds little evidence that AI is taking people’s jobs

by • AI, News

A new analysis from the Budget Lab at Yale University has found little sign that AI is having a measurable impact on the composition of the US workforceA new analysis from the Budget Lab at Yale University has found little sign that artificial intelligence is having a measurable impact on the composition of the US workforce, despite widespread debate about its potential to transform the jobs market and reduce levels of employment. The study, led by Martha Gimbel, Molly Kinder, Joshua Kendall and Maddie Lee, examined monthly labour market data since the public release of ChatGPT in November 2022. (more…)

Young people aren’t lazy or disloyal. They just expect different leadership

Young people aren’t lazy or disloyal. They just expect different leadership

by • Comment, Workplace

As they join the workforce in greater numbers, this new cohort is helping to redefine what work and leadership meanFor decades, the idea of a “good job” was measured with a simple formula: a stable contract and competitive salary. That rule does not seem to hold in the same way for Generation Z, broadly understood as those born between 1995 and 2010. As they join the workforce in greater numbers, this new cohort is helping to redefine what work and leadership mean. Salary still matters, of course, particularly when it comes to gaining independence in a time of high living costs, but many young people no longer see pay as the decisive factor in choosing or staying in a job. Instead, they are attentive to whether companies are genuine in their values, whether their work carries purpose, and whether employers are aware of their social impact. (more…)

‘Side hustles’ are now a survival strategy for many UK workers

‘Side hustles’ are now a survival strategy for many UK workers

by • News, Workplace

A growing number of UK workers are holding down more than one job because what was once a side hustle to pursue a passion or provide a little extra cash has become a financial lifeline for many peopleA growing number of UK workers are holding down more than one job because what was once a side hustle to pursue a passion or provide a little extra cash has become a financial lifeline for many people. According to Employment Hero’s 2025 Annual Jobs Report, 21 percent of UK employees now work multiple jobs. The trend is especially marked among Gen Z, of whom 42 percent say they juggle more than one role just to make ends meet. The report, based on insights gathered from more than 350,000 small businesses and two million employees across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, plus a YouGov survey of 3,635 UK workers, highlights a workforce under pressure from cost-of-living challenges and a cooling labour market. Among full-time employees, 17 percent now also hold additional roles. Nearly a third (29 percent) of all workers surveyed say they have taken on extra hours to cope with rising everyday expenses. (more…)

AI, automation anxiety and the future of work: lessons from Daniel Susskind

AI, automation anxiety and the future of work: lessons from Daniel Susskind

by • AI, Comment, Workplace

Jo Sutherland reports from an enlightening lecture on how automation anxiety and fears about the future of work may not be quite as you thinkWhen I joined the audience at Gresham College for Professor Daniel Susskind’s inaugural lecture on automation anxiety, I expected the familiar line: AI is coming for our jobs. That’s not what I heard. Instead, Susskind, Professor of Business at Gresham, made a surprisingly nuanced argument, explaining that the real story was less about the number of jobs losses, and more about how the very nature of work is shifting. This piece reports on that event (available to watch below) and reflects on what his ideas mean for workplace leaders – and, from my vantage point as a communications professional working with organisations through workplace and digital transformation, how we talk to and engage our colleagues through the change. (more…)

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

Younger people want more office time as remote work leaves many feeling isolated

by • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

A new poll suggests that younger people are increasingly seeking a return to office working, as large numbers report that remote work has left them feeling lonely and disconnected. The survey from Bupa, based on responses from employees aged between 16 and 24, found that around 40 percent say they feel lonely when working from home. Many of those in this group began their careers during the pandemic, with limited experience of office-based work and the informal social interactions that accompany it. (more…)

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

Microsoft study reveals which jobs have been most affected by Generative AI

by • AI, News

Which jobs are most affected by Generative AI?A new large scale study from Microsoft has offered what its authors claim is one of the clearest pictures yet of how Generative AI is being used in real workplaces and which jobs are most exposed to its growing influence. Researchers from Microsoft analysed 200,000 anonymised user conversations with Bing Copilot, Microsoft’s publicly available AI assistant, to determine how AI is assisting or performing work tasks. The study focused on the types of activities people use GenAI for, how successfully AI completes them, and how these activities align with those performed across hundreds of occupations. (more…)

Lack of flexible working options drives a million people to swap jobs last year

Lack of flexible working options drives a million people to swap jobs last year

by • Flexible working, News

More than a million UK workers have quit their jobs in the past year due to a lack of flexible working, according to a new poll from the CIPD.More than a million UK workers have quit their jobs in the past year due to a lack of flexible working, according to a new poll from the CIPD. The organisation’s latest report highlights a growing tension between employer demands and employee expectations, particularly among younger workers. The survey of 2,000 employers and 5,000 employees suggests that around 3 percent of the workforce left their roles since January 2024 because they were unable to access the flexibility they needed. The findings come more than a year after UK workers gained the legal right to request flexible working from day one. (more…)

Working from home means official government stats are too flawed for economic forecasting

Working from home means official government stats are too flawed for economic forecasting

by • Flexible working, News

A new independent review has sharply criticised the Office for National Statistics (ONS), warning that widespread working from home is undermining the quality of UK economic dataA new independent review has sharply criticised the Office for National Statistics (ONS), warning that widespread working from home is undermining the quality of UK economic data, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. The review, led by Sir Robert Devereux, a former senior civil servant, highlights how current working practices are weakening the agency’s ability to deliver accurate and timely statistics. Despite mounting concerns, many ONS staff continue to work from home full-time, with internal resistance to returning to office-based routines. (more…)

Workplace AI doesn’t appear to be having a negative effect on wellbeing for now, research suggests

Workplace AI doesn’t appear to be having a negative effect on wellbeing for now, research suggests

by • AI, News, Wellbeing

A new study published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports offers a cautiously optimistic view of how artificial intelligence is affecting workers’ wellbeingA new study published in the journal Nature: Scientific Reports offers a cautiously optimistic view of how artificial intelligence is affecting workers’ wellbeing. Contrary to common fears, the research finds no clear evidence that AI exposure is harming workers’ mental health or job satisfaction. In some cases, it may even be contributing to small improvements in physical health, particularly among workers without a college degree. (more…)

Turns out that hybrid working is indeed the new normal. For a minority of people

Turns out that hybrid working is indeed the new normal. For a minority of people

by • Flexible working, News

A new analysis from the Office for National Statistics confirms that hybrid working is now the dominant form of flexible work for many people in Great Britain.A new analysis from the Office for National Statistics confirms that hybrid working is now the dominant form of flexible work for many people in Great Britain. The figures, which cover the period from January to March 2025, show that 28 percent of working adults now combine home and on-site work on a regular basis – the highest proportion recorded since the ONS began monitoring hybrid working patterns. This compares with just 9 percent who work exclusively from home and around 55 percent who are permanently based at a single workplace. The remaining proportion are made up of those with no fixed place of work or whose work locations vary, such as mobile or site-based roles.
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Resistance to change is holding the UK back, report suggests

Resistance to change is holding the UK back, report suggests

by • News, Workplace

There is a growing culture of resistance to change across the UK workforce, particularly among women, older employees, and public sector professionals.It used to be said that the UK was a nation of lions led by donkeys. Now it would appear that the country has become as stubborn as mules at every level. The new survey from Right Management claims there is a growing culture of resistance to change across the UK workforce, particularly among women, older employees, and public sector professionals. (more…)

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