Future of work: Measurement and policy challenges

The new technologies hold promises but also significant challenges. Advances in digitalization, artificial intelligence, and automation promise to raise productivity and growth, but they are also bound to reshape the economy and the way we work, with the potential to increase inequality. Given the dimension of the possible changes, it will take a comprehensive and coordinated policy response to secure growth that is widely shared. These policies will also raise challenges for public finances. A better understanding of the changes afoot is critical. Coverage of the new digital economy in the national accounts and labor statistics is incomplete, introducing some inaccuracy into productivity measures and complicating the monitoring of ongoing structural changes such as the growth of new forms of work organized around digital platforms. Closing these data gaps is essential to better understand, observe, and ultimately meet the challenges ahead. Policymakers should facilitate technological change, smooth adjustment and ensure that gains are equally shared, while updating policy frameworks where needed.