Springe zum Inhalt

Dossier

Digitale Arbeitswelt – Chancen und Herausforderungen für Beschäftigte und Arbeitsmarkt

Der digitale Wandel der Arbeitswelt gilt als eine der großen Herausforderungen für Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Wie arbeiten wir in Zukunft? Welche Auswirkungen hat die Digitalisierung und die Nutzung Künstlicher Intelligenz auf Beschäftigung und Arbeitsmarkt? Welche Qualifikationen werden künftig benötigt? Wie verändern sich Tätigkeiten und Berufe? Welche arbeits- und sozialrechtlichen Konsequenzen ergeben sich daraus?
Dieses Themendossier dokumentiert Forschungsergebnisse zum Thema in den verschiedenen Wirtschaftsbereichen und Regionen.
Im Filter „Autorenschaft“ können Sie auf IAB-(Mit-)Autorenschaft eingrenzen.

Zurück zur Übersicht
Ergebnisse pro Seite: 20 | 50 | 100
  • Literaturhinweis

    Technologischer Wandel und Löhne: Die Anpassung der Berufe spielt eine entscheidende Rolle (2026)

    Bachmann, Ronald ; Demir, Gökay; Uhlendorff, Arne ; Green, Colin ;

    Zitatform

    Bachmann, Ronald, Gökay Demir, Colin Green & Arne Uhlendorff (2026): Technologischer Wandel und Löhne: Die Anpassung der Berufe spielt eine entscheidende Rolle. (IAB-Kurzbericht 01/2026), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2601

    Abstract

    "Technischer Fortschritt verändert die Arbeitswelt - besonders in Berufen, in denen viele Tätigkeiten leicht automatisiert werden können. In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist der Anteil an Routinetätigkeiten in vielen Berufen deutlich zurückgegangen - häufig zugunsten nicht routine­mäßiger kognitiver Tätigkeiten wie Analysieren, Planen oder Beraten. Dabei verzeichnen Berufe, deren Tätigkeiten sich im Laufe der Zeit stärker an den technologischen Wandel angepasst haben, steigende Löhne. Sie zeichnen sich zudem durch intensivere Weiterbildungsaktivitäten aus. In Berufen, deren Tätigkeitsprofil sich kaum verändert hat, stagnieren die Löhne dagegen häufiger." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

    Beteiligte aus dem IAB

    Demir, Gökay; Uhlendorff, Arne ;
    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Winners and losers when firms robotize: wage effects across occupations and education (2026)

    Barth, Erling ; Umblijs, Janis ; Røed, Marianne; Schøne, Pål ;

    Zitatform

    Barth, Erling, Marianne Røed, Pål Schøne & Janis Umblijs (2026): Winners and losers when firms robotize: wage effects across occupations and education. In: The Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Jg. 128, H. 1, S. 3-32. DOI:10.1111/sjoe.12593

    Abstract

    "This paper analyses the impact of robots on workers' wages in the manufacturing sector, with a particular focus on relative wages for workers with different levels of education and in different occupations. Using high-quality matched employer–employee register data with firm-level information on the introduction of industrial robots, we identify the effects of robotization on relative wages within firms. Skilled blue-collar workers with a vocational degree experience a decline in wages when firms introduce robots, while there are only small effects for the other groups of workers. These results suggest that robots are substitutes for tasks undertaken by skilled blue-collar workers in manufacturing, and furthermore that the adoption of robots contributes to a polarization of the labor market and a hollowing out of the wage distribution, rather than to skill-biased technical change." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation (2026)

    Beckmann, Fabian ; Hoose, Fabian ; Glanz, Sabrina ; Topal, Serkan ;

    Zitatform

    Beckmann, Fabian, Sabrina Glanz, Fabian Hoose & Serkan Topal (2026): Investigating social protection amongst platform workers in Germany: forced individualisation, hybrid income generation and undesired regulation. In: Journal of Social Policy, Jg. 55, H. 1, S. 100-118. DOI:10.1017/s0047279424000217

    Abstract

    "The social protection of platform workers is considered one of the most precarious features and political challenges of this new form of employment. Still, there have only been a few empirical investigations on this issue to date. This article presents an explorative empirical analysis of the social protection of platform workers in Germany – a conservative welfare regime with a strong link between standard employment and institutionalized social protection. On the basis of an online survey amongst 719 self-employed platform workers, we examine how different employment patterns correspond to institutionalized protection against sickness and old age. We empirically explore different protection types and analyse how they differ regarding working conditions in platform work and individual social policy preferences. Findings reveal that conditions of platform work and social protection as well as demands and regulatory preferences vary notably across different clusters of platform workers. Still, the vast majority votes against obligatory social insurances for platform workers and favors self-employment over dependent employment. Against this background, we discuss challenges for future attempts aiming at improving social protection for platform workers. This study adds to the literature by empirically exploring platform workers’ social protection and social policy preferences, which have been overlooked to date." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Automation Experiments and Inequality (2026)

    Benzell, Seth Gordon; Myers, Kyle R. ;

    Zitatform

    Benzell, Seth Gordon & Kyle R. Myers (2026): Automation Experiments and Inequality. (NBER working paper / National Bureau of Economic Research 34668), Cambridge, Mass, 26 S., App. DOI:10.3386/w34668

    Abstract

    "Many experiments study the productivity effects of automation technologies such as generative algorithms. A key test in these experiments relates to inequality: does the technology increase output more for high- or low-skill workers? However, the theoretical content of this empirical test has been unclear. Here, we formalize a theory that describes the experimental effect of automation technologies on worker-level output and, therefore, inequality. Worker-level output depends on a task-level production function, and workers are heterogeneous in their task-level skills. Workers perform a task themselves or delegate it to the automation technology. The inequality effect of improved automation depends on the interaction of two factors: (i) the correlation in task-level skills across workers, and (ii) workers' skills relative to the technology's effective skill. In many cases we study, the inequality effect is non-monotonic --- as technologies improve, inequality decreases then increases. The model and descriptive statistics of skill correlations generally suggest that the diversity of automation technologies will play an important role in the evolution of inequality." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Digital divide and income inequality: causal evidence from Italian provinces (2026)

    Bergantino, Angela Stefania ; Intini, Mario; Fusco, Giulio; Monturano, Gianluca;

    Zitatform

    Bergantino, Angela Stefania, Giulio Fusco, Mario Intini & Gianluca Monturano (2026): Digital divide and income inequality: causal evidence from Italian provinces. In: The Annals of Regional Science, Jg. 75, H. 1. DOI:10.1007/s00168-025-01440-z

    Abstract

    "The digital economy can function either as a catalyst to stimulate economic growth or else as a driver of socioeconomic inequality when its benefits are unevenly distributed. This study investigates the effect of rural digital connectivity on income inequality in Italy. Utilizing NUTS 3 panel data spanning 2014–2022, we conduct a counterfactual Difference-in-Differences approach with continuous treatment intensity to estimate the impact of introducing rural broadband coverage at speeds of 30 and 100 Mbps on multiple measures of income distribution, including the Gini, Theil, and Atkinson indices. The empirical framework incorporates a comprehensive set of socioeconomic controls, as well as provincial and time fixed effects, to account for unobserved heterogeneity and regional path dependencies. Our findings indicate that broadband expansion is significantly associated with increasing inequality, suggesting that access alone does not guarantee inclusive outcomes, particularly in localities characterized by structural fragility and limited human capital. Additional heterogeneity and spatial analyses demonstrate that these inequality effects are more evident in southern provinces and localities with a higher concentration of inner areas, where the digital divide remains more pronounced. These findings accentuate the dual role of digitalization and highlight the necessity of coordinated policy interventions that combine infrastructure investment with digital skills development, institutional capacity-building, and spatially integrated governance strategies." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    The EU compromise machine and the politicisation of social policy: Lessons from the regulation of platform work (2026)

    Crespy, Amandine ; Marenco, Matteo ; Spasova, Slavina; Kenn, Bastian ;

    Zitatform

    Crespy, Amandine, Bastian Kenn, Matteo Marenco & Slavina Spasova (2026): The EU compromise machine and the politicisation of social policy: Lessons from the regulation of platform work. In: Journal of European Social Policy, Jg. 36, H. 1, S. 18-33. DOI:10.1177/09589287251345912

    Abstract

    "Over the past few years, the legal status and the working conditions of platform workers have been among the most debated manifestations of the digital transformation of work. Tense negotiations on the EU platform work directive (from 2021 to 2024) epitomize long-standing conflicts in EU social policymaking, namely the opposition between capital and labor, on the one hand, and resistance to EU involvement or impact on Member States’ social arrangements, on the other. This paper provides an in-depth inquiry of the policy process by focussing specifically on the presumption of employment in platform work, which was first proposed as an EU-wide provision and eventually nationalized with its definition left to national arrangements. Drawing on this case and mobilizing the literature on positive integration entrepreneurship, and politicization, we shed light on the ‘drivers’ and ‘inhibitors’ of EU social regulation. On the one hand, we provide evidence that joint entrepreneurship of the European Parliament (EP) and the European Commission is a primary driver and argue for acknowledging the role of the EP as a key entrepreneur of ‘Social Europe’. On the other hand, divisions in the Council, underpinned by domestic politics, hinder ambitious social policy regulation at EU level in several respects. Furthermore, we tease out the role of politicization and theorize its ambivalent role as both a driver and inhibitor, depending on contingent party political orientations, contextual factors, but also the role played by Council presidencies, so far overlooked in the literature. We conclude that the drivers and inhibitors we identify, and the resulting dynamics of compromise, are relevant beyond the case of platform work. While stressing the crucial, yet ambivalent, role of politicization, our findings cast a shadow on what has recently been described as a great come back of ‘Social Europe’ with the European Pillar of Social Rights." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Labour productivity gains or offshoring? Implications for post-growth proposals on the future of work (2026)

    Godé, Lukas; Mair, Simon ; Gómez-Baggethun, Erik;

    Zitatform

    Godé, Lukas, Simon Mair & Erik Gómez-Baggethun (2026): Labour productivity gains or offshoring? Implications for post-growth proposals on the future of work. In: Ecological economics, Jg. 239. DOI:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108778

    Abstract

    "Two visions prevail about the future of work in sustainable post-growth economies. According to the first, labour productivity gains resulting from technological development will enable to work less. The second contends instead that such gains are not always desirable and could be constrained by a shift towards less polluting production, potentially resulting in more work. Yet, conventional measures of labour productivity on which these proposals are based can conceal a displacement of labour requirements abroad. In this paper, we conduct a case study on Germany in 1995 –2020 to assess whether and to which extent labour productivity gainsresult from offshoring, and implications for post-growth proposals on the future of work. We first retrieve global labour requirements of German production across upstream supply chains. We then decompose conventional labour productivity gains to evaluate whether they result from a reduction in global labour requirements or of their increased displacement towards upstream sectors. Finally, we examine possible impacts on labour offshoring of shifting production to sectors with low productivity gains. We use a socially extended Multi-Regional Input-Output model based on OECD data. Our results show that a quarter of the global labour requirements for German production is provided abroad. This share increased until 2007 before it stabilized or decreased. We identify some potential for working time reduction without increases in labour offshoring. Shifting to service sectors could furthermore reduce labour offshoring relative to production. Yet critically, German production may cover only a fraction of domestic consumption. Related implications for post-growth proposals require further attention." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    The impact of AI on global knowledge work (2026)

    Ide, Enrique; Talamas, Eduard;

    Zitatform

    Ide, Enrique & Eduard Talamas (2026): The impact of AI on global knowledge work. In: Journal of monetary economics, Jg. 157. DOI:10.1016/j.jmoneco.2025.103876

    Abstract

    "We analyze how Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes global knowledge work in a two-region world where firms organize production hierarchically to use knowledge efficiently: the most knowledgeable individuals specialize in problem-solving, while others perform routine work. Before AI, the Advanced Economy specializes in problem-solving services, whereas the Emerging Economy focuses on routine work. AI converts compute — which is located in the Advanced Economy — into autonomous “AI agents” that perfectly substitute for humans with a given level of knowledge. Basic AI reduces the Advanced Economy ’s net exports of problem-solving services, potentially reversing pre-AI trade patterns. In contrast, sophisticated AI expands these exports, reinforcing existing trade patterns. Finally, we show that a global ban on AI autonomy redistributes AI’s gains toward lower-skilled workers, while a regional ban — such as prohibiting autonomy only in the Emerging Economy — offers little benefit to lower-skilled workers and harms the most knowledgeable individuals in that region." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Online platforms' organizational resources and gig workers' self-leadership (2026)

    Ihl, Andreas; Mayer, Anne-Sophie;

    Zitatform

    Ihl, Andreas & Anne-Sophie Mayer (2026): Online platforms' organizational resources and gig workers' self-leadership. In: Journal of vocational behavior. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2026.104214

    Abstract

    "An increasing number of gig workers turn to online gig work platforms to pursue potentially boundaryless and protean careers outside traditional organizational settings. Proactive career self-management and related self-leadership are essential to succeed in such careers. However, while traditional organizations facilitate self-leadership by providing traditional organizational resources, such as supportive human resource practices, gig work lacks these important resources. As a result, cultivating self-leadership among gig workers remains a considerable challenge. This study addresses this challenge by investigating how online platforms that centrally shape work environments may provide a resource-related context that facilitates gig workers' self-leadership strategies. Using a contextual and systemic approach to career self-management and inspired by the conservation of resources theory, we draw on insights from a 14-month field study of an online gig work platform, involving data collected from multiple sources. The findings show how platforms offer various types of platform-embedded resources and how workers utilize these resources to engage in behavior- and cognitive-focused self-leadership strategies. This study thereby contributes to the literature on careers in gig work by theorizing the role of online platforms in shaping gig workers' careers from a proactive and agentic perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2026 Elsevier Inc. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Automation and the risk of labor market exclusion across Europe (2026)

    Lamperti, Fabio; Castellani, Davide ;

    Zitatform

    Lamperti, Fabio & Davide Castellani (2026): Automation and the risk of labor market exclusion across Europe. In: Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Jg. 77, S. 62-76. DOI:10.1016/j.strueco.2025.12.014

    Abstract

    "Labor market exclusion represents a major concern in several European economies, particularly affecting highly exposed demographic groups. This paper examines the potential effect of automation technologies on the risk of being locked into protracted unemployment or inactivity, using Labour Force Survey data for the European Union 27 countries and the United Kingdom, between 2009 and 2019. Our study employs repeated cross-sections of individual-level data to compute probabilities of exclusion outcomes due to automation adoption, controlling for several individual, macroeconomic, and region-specific characteristics, and for potential selection mechanisms. Findings highlight that, on average, the adoption of new automation technologies is associated with a higher probability of being inactive. This is consistent with the view that automation may exacerbate job insecurity, psychological discouragement, and detachment from job-seeking. This relationship is heterogeneous across demographic groups, with younger individuals being relatively more affected." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Good Jobs or Bad Jobs? Immigrant Workers in the Gig Economy (2026)

    Liu, Cathy Yang ; Renzy, Rory;

    Zitatform

    Liu, Cathy Yang & Rory Renzy (2026): Good Jobs or Bad Jobs? Immigrant Workers in the Gig Economy. In: International migration review, Jg. 60, H. 1, S. 114-138. DOI:10.1177/01979183241309585

    Abstract

    "New work arrangements enabled by online platforms, or gig work, saw substantive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Various estimates have suggested the wide participation of workers in the gig economy, with minority and immigrant workers well represented. The quality of work is a multi-dimensional concept that goes beyond earnings. One framework of good jobs and bad jobs centers on control over work schedule, content and duration, stability, safety, benefits and insurance, as well as career advancement opportunities. Using a newly released national survey focused on entrepreneurs and workers in the United States, we find that about 18.5 percent immigrant workers and 21.1 percent native-born workers participated in the gig economy as their primary or secondary job. In terms of job quality, immigrant gig workers work shorter hours and have significantly less fringe benefits than non-gig workers as well as U.S.-born gig workers, reflecting a double disadvantage. However, they tend to have higher entrepreneurial aspirations, suggesting the transient nature of gig arrangements and potential for career advancements. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics and implication of immigrants’ engagement with the gig economy and offers policy and theoretical discussions." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    The Enshittification of Work: Platform Decay and Labour Conditions in the Gig Economy (2026)

    Maffie, Michael David ; Hurtado, Hector;

    Zitatform

    Maffie, Michael David & Hector Hurtado (2026): The Enshittification of Work: Platform Decay and Labour Conditions in the Gig Economy. In: BJIR, Jg. 64, H. 1, S. 5-20. DOI:10.1111/bjir.70004

    Abstract

    "This study investigates the mechanisms by which gig platforms degrade labor conditions over time, building on the concept of platform decay, or ‘enshittification’, initially developed in the context of social media platforms. In this article, we draw on 30 interviews with long-term gig workers in the ride-hail and grocery delivery sectors, offering insights into how these companies shift from offering attractive working conditions to exploiting labor as these services develop market power via network effects. We identify three mechanisms through which gig companies claw back value from workers over time: burden shifting (transferring operational costs to workers), feature addition and alteration (increasing the demands on workers), and market manipulation (reducing worker bargaining power). We then explore how workers respond to platform decay, finding that workers adopt three responses: effort recalibration , multi-homing and navigating the changing conditions through what we term toxic resilience . This study contributes to the gig work literature by developing a framework to explain how working conditions in the gig economy improve or degrade over time. In doing so, this article provides a framework for organizing the growing constellation of labour research on gig workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Machine learning for labor market matching (2026)

    Mühlbauer, Sabrina ; Weber, Enzo ;

    Zitatform

    Mühlbauer, Sabrina & Enzo Weber (2026): Machine learning for labor market matching. In: Machine learning with applications, Jg. 23, 2026-02-03. DOI:10.1016/j.mlwa.2026.100861

    Abstract

    "This paper develops a large-scale machine learning framework to improve labor market matching using rich administrative data. Matching is defined as a job seeker entering employment in a specific occupational field. We exploit comprehensive employment biographies from Germany, covering individual characteristics and job-related information, to estimate employment probabilities across occupations and generate personalized job recommendations. The contribution lies in demonstrating why machine learning methods are particularly well suited for administrative labor market data and outperform traditional statistical approaches. We compare logit, ordinary least squares (OLS), k-nearest neighbors, and random forest (RF). RF consistently achieves the highest predictive performance. Its advantage is rooted in key methodological properties: RF builds an ensemble of decision trees trained on bootstrap samples, introduces random feature selection at each split, and aggregates predictions through majority voting. This enables RF to capture nonlinear relationships and complex interactions, remain robust in high-dimensional settings, and reduce overfitting — features that are particularly relevant for heterogeneous and imbalanced administrative data. Compared to conventional models, RF better exploits the full informational content of employment histories, especially when estimating on all employment spells rather than restricting the sample to unemployment-to-employment transitions. The sample comprises approximately 55 million spells, representing about 6 percent of the German workforce from 2012 to 2018. Our results suggest that ML-based matching, relative to standard statistical approaches, could hypothetically reduce the unemployment rate by up to 0.3 percentage points, highlighting the practical relevance of RF-based decision support for labor market policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Elsevier) ((en))

    Beteiligte aus dem IAB

    Mühlbauer, Sabrina ; Weber, Enzo ;
    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    How local labour market skill relatedness and size moderate the impacts of automation (2026)

    Njekwa Ryberg, Peter ;

    Zitatform

    Njekwa Ryberg, Peter (2026): How local labour market skill relatedness and size moderate the impacts of automation. In: Regional Studies, Jg. 60, H. 1. DOI:10.1080/00343404.2025.2598031

    Abstract

    "This paper examines how local labour market skill relatedness and size moderate the impacts of automation on occupations across Swedish local labour markets. Using administrative data and a spatially explicit risk of automation measure that accounts for regional differences in occupational task contents, it finds a negative association between automation and employment growth and wage income growth for non-metropolitan occupations between 2011 and 2021. Skill relatedness and labour market size mitigate these negative relationships. In contrast, no negative associations are found for metropolitan occupations. Due to their higher shares of non-automatable tasks, they are more resilient to adverse automation effects." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Effective Leadership, Teamwork Quality, and Their Association With Employees’ Perceived Digital Stress: A Multilevel Analysis (2026)

    Schadow, Sophia-Aileen ; Wolf, Sandra ;

    Zitatform

    Schadow, Sophia-Aileen & Sandra Wolf (2026): Effective Leadership, Teamwork Quality, and Their Association With Employees’ Perceived Digital Stress. A Multilevel Analysis. In: Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, S. 1-12. DOI:10.1026/0932-4089/a000461

    Abstract

    "The ongoing digitalization of work environments poses increasing challenges for employees, including heightened levels of digital stress. This study enhances our understanding of how leadership and team processes relate to employees’ experiences of digital stress. Specifically, we examined associations between effective leadership (EL) and perceived digital stress as well as whether teamwork quality (TWQ) moderates this relationship. We collected the data from a German IT service company ( N = 12,862, 1,207 teams). Multilevel analyses indicated that EL was linked to lower levels of digital stress at both the individual and team levels. This association was stronger in teams with high TWQ, particularly at the team level. Moreover, gender differences in perceived digital stress emerged. The findings provide initial evidence on contextual factors associated with digital stress and suggest directions for future research on leadership and team dynamics in increasingly digitalized work environments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Envisioning the Future of Work: From Ideas to Reforms (2026)

    Spencer, David A. ;

    Zitatform

    Spencer, David A. (2026): Envisioning the Future of Work: From Ideas to Reforms. In: BJIR, S. 1-11. DOI:10.1111/bjir.70035

    Abstract

    "Two different theoretical perspectives concerning technology and the future of work are examined. One is linked to mainstream economics, whereas the other is associated with critical (‘post-work ’) discourse. Ideas about work—its nature and impacts on well-being—matter in both perspectives. Indeed, they shape visions of a ‘better’ or ‘ideal’ future. They also influence policy responses to new technology. A critique is presented of the ways that work and its possible futures are understood. This critique is used to develop a different set of ideas about how technology might be harnessed to reduce the burden and raise the quality of work. The ability of ideas to effect reforms in and of work—ideas that have currency now and possible radical alternatives—is also assessed." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Changing Job Tasks as Risk or Chance for Employees’ Perceived Job Quality? A Longitudinal Analysis (2026)

    Zeyer-Gliozzo, Birgit ; Schwerter, Jakob ; Kunz, Carolin ; Brandt, Martina ;

    Zitatform

    Zeyer-Gliozzo, Birgit, Carolin Kunz, Jakob Schwerter & Martina Brandt (2026): Changing Job Tasks as Risk or Chance for Employees’ Perceived Job Quality? A Longitudinal Analysis. In: Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, S. 1-26. DOI:10.1007/s11577-025-01043-8

    Abstract

    "In den letzten Jahrzehnten haben sich Arbeitsaufgaben erheblich verändert, was in erster Linie auf den technologischen Wandel zurückzuführen ist. Einige Tätigkeiten können von Maschinen übernommen werden, während andere an Bedeutung gewinnen. Dies kann sich auf zweierlei Weise auf die Beschäftigten auswirken: Einerseits können veränderte Tätigkeiten die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität verringern, beispielsweise durch kognitive Überlastung. Andererseits können Tätigkeitsveränderungen eine Chance sein, beispielsweise durch die Automatisierung unerwünschter Tätigkeiten wie schwerer körperlicher Arbeit. Diese Studie analysiert anhand von Daten des Nationalen Bildungspanels, wie sich Aufgabenänderungen auf individueller Ebene auf die Arbeitszufriedenheit als Maß für die wahrgenommene Arbeitsqualität auswirken. Fixed-Effects-Modelle zeigen, dass weniger manuelle sowie mehr analytische und autonome Tätigkeiten die Arbeitszufriedenheit signifikant verbessern, was auf positive Auswirkungen vergangener Aufgabenänderungen hindeutet. Allerdings beobachten wir auch altersbedingte Unterschiede, wobei ältere Beschäftigte eine geringere Zufriedenheit angeben, wenn sie weniger Routineaufgaben ausführen. Diese Ergebnisse liefern wertvolle Erkenntnisse über die Auswirkungen sich verändernder Arbeitsaufgaben und zeigen Bereiche auf, in denen weitere Forschung und politische Maßnahmen erforderlich sind." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    New Technology, Older Workers: How Workplace Technology is Associated with Indicators of Job Retention (2025)

    Abrams, Leah ; Harknett, Kristen ; Schneider, Daniel ;

    Zitatform

    Abrams, Leah, Daniel Schneider & Kristen Harknett (2025): New Technology, Older Workers: How Workplace Technology is Associated with Indicators of Job Retention. In: Journal of Aging & Social Policy, S. 1-17. DOI:10.1080/08959420.2025.2523122

    Abstract

    "Middle-aged and older adults who are employed in precarious, high-strain jobs may face challenges to continued work, risking economic insecurity and poor wellbeing in retirement. Technology in the workplace, an under-studied aspect of work environments, could accommodate aging workers or could add stress to their jobs. This study examines how technology in sales and surveillance at work are related to job satisfaction and planned job exits among approximately 6,000 workers aged 50–69 employed in the low-wage service sector (e.g. retail, pharmacy, grocery, hardware, fast food, casual dining, delivery, and hotel). On-the-job surveillance was related to lower job satisfaction and higher reports of looking for a new job, especially when combined with sanctioning for slow speed of work. However, rewards for speed, and to a lesser extent the use of leaderboards, were associated with higher job satisfaction, demonstrating the potential of technology to enhance the work experience for older employees. The use of sales technologies was not associated with job satisfaction or intentions to look for a new job. These results provide a uniquely detailed portrait of prevailing labor market conditions for aging workers in the service sector and demonstrate how certain kinds of technology matter for older workers ’ employment." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Automation and Polarization (2025)

    Acemoglu, Daron ; Löbbing, Jonas;

    Zitatform

    Acemoglu, Daron & Jonas Löbbing (2025): Automation and Polarization. In: Journal of Political Economy. DOI:10.1086/739330

    Abstract

    "We develop an assignment model of automation. Each of a continuum of tasks of variable complexity is assigned to either capital or one of a continuum of labor skills. We characterize conditions for interiorautomation, whereby tasks of intermediate complexity are performed by capital. Interior automation arises when the most skilled workers have a comparative advantage in the most complex tasks relative to capital, and when the wages of the least skilled workers are sufficiently low relative to both their own productivity and the effective cost of capital in low-complexity tasks. Minimum wages and other sourcesof higher wages at the bottom make interior automation less likely. Starting with interior automation, a reduction in the cost of capital (or an increase in capital productivity) causes employment and wage polarization. Specifically, further automation pushes workers into tasks at the lower and upper ends ofthe task distribution. It also monotonically increases the skill premium above a threshold and reduces the skill premium below this threshold. Moreover, automation tends to reduce the real wage of Workers with comparative advantage profiles close to that of capital. We show that large enough increases in capital productivity ultimately induce a transition to low-skill automation and qualitatively alter the effects of automation—thereafter inducing monotone increases in skill premia rather than wage polarization." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen
  • Literaturhinweis

    Artificial intelligence in work design: unlocking inclusion and overcoming barriers (2025)

    Adolph, Lars; Kirchhoff, Britta Marleen; Hamideh Kerdar, Sara;

    Zitatform

    Adolph, Lars, Britta Marleen Kirchhoff & Sara Hamideh Kerdar (2025): Artificial intelligence in work design: unlocking inclusion and overcoming barriers. In: Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, Jg. 79, H. 2, S. 197-205. DOI:10.1007/s41449-025-00467-4

    Abstract

    "This article examines the protection goal of “exclusion prevention” and the design requirement of “design for inclusion and accessibility”, which are part of the initial considerations for a roadmap on artificial intelligence (AI) in occupational science research. The proposed roadmap systematically breaks down framework conditions, design requirements, instrumental goals and protection goals. The concept presented provides guidance for future research and can also serve as a basis for scientific policy advice. The in-depth examination of inclusion and AI takes place against the background that, on the one hand these aspects are underrepresented in occupational science research, and technological development can lead to a surge of change, particularly in the area of inclusive work design, on the other. Two expert workshops were held to answer the research question of what opportunities and risks AI technologies offer for the professional integration of people with disabilities, and what research and development needs to exist. The results show that some useful systems already exist, but that they can also have negative effects and that there is a need for further development. Practical relevance: The presented aspects of the roadmap on artificial intelligence (AI) from the perspective of occupational science research is relevant for both companies and policy actors who want to gain a systematic overview of AI in the world of work. A particular focus is on the issue of inclusive work design. In an expert workshop, it became clear that an optimistic view of the use of artificial intelligence for inclusive work design prevails both in companies or workshops employing people with disabilities and in the field of consulting. At the same time, however, development needs and potential risks were identified. The results provide an overview of the current potential uses of AI and are also of interest to companies that do not yet employ people with disabilities but are planning to do so." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

    mehr Informationen
    weniger Informationen