The WeLaR project’s final conference, held on 12 June 2025 in Brussels, showcased the newest research on how digitalisation, globalisation, climate change, and demographic shifts impact EU labour markets and welfare systems.
Featuring 20 papers across six sessions, it gathered researchers from various disciplines to discuss work-related transformations. Keynote speaker Francesco Vona (Università degli Studi di Milano) addressed how to make the green transition both viable and equitable, calling for place-based policies, reskilling programmes, and a shift from occupation-based to task-based measures of green jobs for more accurate policy targeting.
Session 1, chaired by Ilse Tobback (HIVA-KU), explored the global and institutional dimensions of digitalisation and automation. Piotr Lewandowski (IBS) showed that workers AI exposure is higher in wealthier countries and grows mainly through evolving job tasks rather than occupational shifts. Sabrina Genz (Utrecht University) found that firms with collective bargaining agreements tend to invest more in automation, highlighting the role of institutions in shaping technology adoption. Tommaso Ciarli (University of Sussex) revealed that emerging technologies are adopted in bundles with varying patterns across countries and sectors, and that only a few are linked to wage increases.
Session 2, chaired by Ilda Durri (OSE), focused on training, qualifications, and social innovation in the context of labour market transformation. Elisabeth Felbermair (Arbeiterkammer Wien) presented the Öko-Booster project, which trains young immigrants—especially women—for green energy jobs in Vienna, promoting inclusion and gender equity. Ursula Holtgrewe (ZSI) explored how social innovations across Europe respond to megatrends with flexible, person-centred approaches that either support labour market reintegration or drive systemic change. Angela Ulrich (IAB) examined vocational guidance in Germany, showing that while large firms support upskilling, smaller firms and vulnerable workers face access barriers, highlighting risks of widening inequality.
Session 3, chaired by Karolien Lenaerts (HIVA-KU), focused on the multifaceted impacts of technological change on work and skill demand. Mantej Singh Pardesi (Maastricht University) showed that firms investing in technology-complementary capital tend to expand hiring and training across all skill levels, highlighting the importance of vocational training and apprenticeships. Roman Klauser (RWI) found that digitalisation, especially AI, has shifted firms’ skill demand from analytic to interactive capabilities, particularly post-COVID. Alireza Sabouniha (Universität Innsbruck) revealed that offshoring and technological change have led to more atypical employment, especially in services, with employment protection laws influencing outcomes. Finally, Ekaterina Prytkova (University Côte d’Azur) presented evidence from the TechXposure database showing that digital technologies have mixed employment effects across skill levels—boosting high- and low-skilled jobs while eroding middle-skilled roles.
Session 4, chaired by Piotr Lewandowski (IBS), explored how climate change and the green transition affect labour markets. Jessica Wiest (IAB) found no clear wage premium for green jobs, suggesting that the lack of financial incentives may slow worker movement into green occupations. Cesar Barreto (OECD) showed that workers displaced from energy-intensive industries suffer significant income losses and job instability, particularly older, less-skilled employees. Nicola Gagliardi (Université Libre de Bruxelles) demonstrated that rising temperatures reduce firm productivity, especially in sectors reliant on outdoor or manual labour. Finally, Toon Vandyck (KU Leuven) presented a model showing that wage rigidities amplify the economic costs of climate policies and deepen labour market inequalities, highlighting the need for targeted policy design in the green transition.
Session 5, chaired by Laurène Thil (HIVA-KU), examined the intersection of social policy, welfare preferences, and inequality in Europe. Fabrizio Pompei (UNIPG) highlighted that family policy reforms, particularly those supporting households with children, are most effective in reducing in-work poverty across the EU. Marko Vladisavljević (University of Belgrade) found that while support for redistribution rose after the 2008 crisis, it declined post-COVID, influenced by trust in institutions, personal values, and voting behaviour. Pol Barbé (HIVA-KU) introduced the Education Investment Effort (EIE) index, revealing stark differences across countries, with Northern and Central Europe leading in educational investment. Finally, Jaewook Lee (Universiteit Leiden) showed that macroeconomic growth alone does not reduce welfare chauvinism, which is more closely tied to personal economic insecurity, underscoring the need for policies addressing deeper fears about the future.
Session 6, chaired by Ursula Holtgrewe (ZSI), focused on remote work and new work modalities. Ilse Tobback (HIVA-KU) examined why younger workers are less engaged in telework, finding that access to remote work significantly increases job attractiveness. Young job seekers are willing to accept lower incomes, particularly for the first day of remote work. Women, those already employed, and individuals with telework access show the highest willingness to accept lower pay, while strong workplace social capital slightly reduces the appeal of remote work. Jarne Heylen (KU-Leuven) explored how telework affects psychosocial risks, showing that while telework has increased overall since the pandemic, women and mid-aged workers (35–55) face higher risks related to work intensity, low support, and work-life conflict. In contrast, older and more educated workers tend to experience fewer of these challenges.
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