Human values, as well as AI, must be at the core of the future of work
T he UK economy is at a pivotal moment. Two years on from Covid, and it remains the only country in the developed world where people have continued to drop out of the labour market in greater numbers beyond the pandemic.
Rates of economic inactivity have risen and vacancies in the hospitality, health and technology sectors are proving hard to fill. At the same time, automation and the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology risk spreading fear and anxiety among workers. The UK is experiencing new forms of polarisation between good and poor-quality work.
How the government responds to the challenges the current jobs market presents is crucial. Yet we still do not have a cross-department council, strategy or minister to coordinate and drive the “future of work” agenda.
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A new report from the Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy select committee highlights the obstacles the UK faces in seeking to deliver sustainable, inclusive growth. It also highlights a remarkable range of labour market challenges, even though unemployment levels remain close to a record low. But what is missing from the report, and indeed from the government’s vision, is a focus on the importance of “good work”.
This is work that is more than just employment, it is work that promotes dignity, autonomy and equality; work that has fair pay and conditions. The government often focuses on unemployment figures as a metric for whether the economy is doing well. But the data that we have shows that increasing the number of professional jobs in a local area can no longer be seen
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