Future of work in Australia: Preparing for tomorrow’s world

This sixth report in BCEC’s Focus on the States series looks at the changing nature of employment, the quality of work, and considers the role of technology in the jobs of the future. The report also sheds light on patterns of employment and hours worked across industry sectors and brings empirical evidence to bear on the extent to which our work patterns are likely to evolve into the future. The report highlights the critical imperative to ensure that workers – particularly low-skilled men – can access retraining and education opportunities that smooth their transition to new, higher skilled jobs, or into other forms of employment. Our report develops a unique index of precarious employment for Australia, combining indicators of job insecurity, employment conditions, employment and lack of control of work-life balance. We find that precarious employment has increased for both genders since 2009, but more rapidly for men than women.