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Kuhlmann, Martin, Britta Matthes & Stefan Theuer (2025): Das Produktionsmodell der deutschen Automobilindustrie auf dem Prüfstand. Arbeitsstrukturen und Arbeitsanforderungen in Montagewerken im Wandel? (SOFI-Impulspapier), Göttingen, 6 S.

Abstract

"Das in den 1980er-Jahren etablierte Produktionsmodell der deutschen Automobilhersteller lässt sich beschreiben als innovations- und exportorientierte Produktion qualitativ hochwertiger Produkte auf Basis qualifizierter Arbeit, guter Bezahlung und hoher Beschäftigungssicherheit sowie starken gewerkschaftlichen Interessenvertretungen. Politische Vorgaben, wie die Umstellung auf die Produktion von Elektroautos, veränderte Wettbewerbsbedingungen sowie die weiter voranschreitende Digitalisierung haben dazu geführt, dass dieses Produktionsmodell derzeit auf dem Prüfstand steht. Getrieben durch aufkommende Zweifel an der technologischen Überlegenheit deutscher Automobilhersteller und Nachfrageschwächen beim Übergang auf Elektromobilität ist die Unsicherheit in der Branche gegenwärtig groß. In einem laufenden Forschungsprojekt untersuchen wir, inwiefern sich durch die Produktion von Elektroautos und die fortschreitende Digitalisierung Arbeitsstrukturen und Arbeitsanforderungen in den Endmontagewerken der deutschen Automobilhersteller verändert haben und ob sich arbeitsbezogen ein Wandel des deutschen Produktionsmodells abzeichnet." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Lott, Yvonne & Andreas Hövermann (2025): Computer Use and Digital Frustration in German Workplaces: Is There a Gendered Part-Time Gap? In: Work, Employment and Society, Jg. 39, H. 6, S. 1440-1462. DOI:10.1177/09500170251351265

Abstract

"The digital transformation may disproportionately disadvantage female part-time workers, as they are affected by the flexibility stigma and career penalties. In this article, we ask: Is there a gendered part-time gap in work-related computer use and digital frustration in Germany? Latent class analysis and multivariate analysis, based on data from Wave 12 (2019/20) of the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) Starting Cohort 6 – Adults, showed that women – and part-time working women in particular – were less likely than men to be classified as ‘advanced users’. Furthermore, part-time working women felt least well prepared for using networked digital technologies at work and were thus more at risk of experiencing digital frustration. These findings suggest that the triadic association between technology, power and masculinity postulated by feminist technology theory should be extended to include full-time work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Matthes, Britta (2025): Wie KI Berufe verändert und Chancen für Menschen mit Behinderungen schafft. In: Die Berufliche Rehabilitation, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 6-15., 2025-04-04.

Abstract

"Es ist absehbar, dass die rasanten technologischen Entwicklungen der letzten Jahre, insbesondere die enorme Steigerung der Rechenleistung und die Entwicklung selbstlernender algorithmischer Systeme, die heute allgemein als Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) bezeichnet werden, ihre Spuren auf dem Arbeitsmarkt hinterlassen werden. Welche das genau sein werden, können wir leider aber auch nicht sagen. Denn gerade in solch disruptiven Zeiten, wie wir sie derzeit erleben, wissen wir nicht, wie schnell und in welche Richtung sich bestehende Berufe verändern, welche Berufe verschwinden und welche neu entstehen werden. Zwar können Prognosen etwas darüber sagen, wie sich die Zahl der Berufseinsteiger*innen auf die verschiedenen Berufe und Qualifikationsniveaus verteilen würde, wenn sich die Entwicklung wie in der Vergangenheit fortsetzt. Allerdings scheinen die Potenziale, die sich aus dem Einsatz von KI ergeben, bekannte Zusammenhänge in Frage zu stellen. Hinzu kommt, dass diese Prognosemodelle sehr komplex sind, um daraus sinnvolle Schlussfolgerungen für den Einzelnen zu ziehen. So lässt sich die Frage, inwiefern KI und andere digtale Technolgien auch die Beschäftigungsmöglichkeiten für Menschen mit Behinderungen erweitern könnten, damit kaum beantworten." (Textauszug, IAB-Doku)

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Molitor, Friederike (2025): Work arrangements in digitally mediated care and domestic work. In: Community, work & family, S. 1-20. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2025.2523863

Abstract

"As the need for care has grown, paid care and domestic work in the private home is increasingly being organized on the market. Today, digital platforms serve as intermediaries for care and domestic services but systematic research on the resulting work arrangements between workers and clients remains limited. By understanding platform-mediated care and domestic work arrangements as a (social) exchange of ‘love and money’ between workers and clients, the study explores the working conditions and the worker-client relationships that emerge. Drawing on unique survey data collected on a large digital platform in Germany in 2019, the study shows that care and domestic workers who offer their services on digital platforms often experience informal work arrangements characterized by low working hours and irregular shifts. The worker-client relationships are described as amicable more than professional. They are often built on continuity, long-termism and reliability, which are essential for a lasting relationship. This challenges the on-demand, economic logic characterising other forms of platform work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Nikolova, Milena, Anthony Lepinteur & Femke Cnossen (2025): Just another cog in the machine? A worker‐level view of robotization and tasks. In: Economica, Jg. 92, H. 368, S. 1101-1148. DOI:10.1111/ecca.70006

Abstract

"Technological change has led to a decline in the share of routine and physical jobs, and a rise in the share of abstract and social ones at the economy level. However, much less is known about how these trends unfold at the individual level. Do workers' tasks become more or less routine and physical? Do workers shift towards more social and abstract activities? This paper is the first to explore these questions in the context of robotization. We use survey data from 20 European countries to develop worker-level indices of physical, routine, abstract and social tasks, which we link to industry-level robotization exposure. Using instrumental variable techniques, we find that robotization reduces physically demanding tasks but increases routine tasks, while also limiting opportunities for cognitively challenging work and human interaction. This study provides a worker-centric perspective on the relationship between technology and task composition, revealing insights that aggregate analyses miss." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Ohly, Sandra, Amina Granica, Hannes Herwig, Niklas Kühlewind, Tobias Paetzold, Lana Vinhoven, Luisa Wiemers & Xi Zhang (2025): Humane work design: How does the digitization of work change core work characteristics in different occupations? In: Zeitschrift für Arbeitswissenschaft, Jg. 79, H. 4, S. 569-580. DOI:10.1007/s41449-025-00491-4

Abstract

"Wenn vermehrt digitale Tools eingesetzt werden und Arbeit im Homeoffice stattfindet, verändern sich Arbeitsbedingungen. Der vorliegende Beitrag analysiert diese Veränderungen anhand von 8 Fällen und arbeitet Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede heraus. Die Prognose von Lernen, Wohlbefinden und Arbeitsleistung erlaubt es, Fehlentwicklungen in der Arbeitsgestaltungen abzuschätzen.Praktische Relevanz: Durch Aufmerksamkeit auf mögliche Fehlentwicklungen können Gegenmaßnahmen getroffen werden, etwa zur Verbesserung der Kommunikation und sozialen Unterstützung bei ortsverteilter Arbeit, oder der angepassten Gestaltung von KI-Systemen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Parfitt, Harry & Ercüment Çelik (2025): Logistics platforms’ ‘new’ mode of appropriation? An analysis of four trends from inside Germany’s Q-commerce sector. In: Work Organisation, Labour and Globalisation, Jg. 19, H. 2, S. 261-277. DOI:10.13169/workorgalaboglob.19.2.0009

Abstract

"This article investigates the ‘newness’ of platformized logistics labor through an ethnographic study of a Q-Commerce platform – ‘Smart Groceries’ – in Germany. Because conditions at ‘Smart Groceries’ seemed comparatively good, the authors were forced to question the centrality of ‘gigification’ to platform logistics labor. The article draws on participant observation and 16 in-depth interviews with workers and suggests that logistics platforms’ ‘new’ mode of harnessing labor to capital represents an intertwining of four trends: algorithmic management, flexibilization, the ‘explosion’ of the factory and the incorporation of migrant labor. These trends foster alienation, precarity, fragmentation and exploitation, respectively." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Pesole, Annarosa (2025): Algorithmic Management and the Platformisation of Work in Europe: Evidence from Spain and Germany. In: The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Jg. 68, H. 2, S. 367-394. DOI:10.1007/s41027-024-00544-y

Abstract

"This study investigates the impact of digital tools and algorithmic management on work organisation and working conditions, with a focus on the growing platformisation of work. The research focuses on three main aspects: the use of digital devices and platforms, the collection and processing of data by these platforms, and the role of algorithms in managing labour activities. Drawing on data from the AMPWork survey conducted in Spain and Germany, the analysis explores the prevalence and effects of digital monitoring and algorithmic management within traditional and platform work settings. Findings highlight the significant diffusion of digital tools and reveal that over two-thirds of workers use such technologies in their tasks. However, the extent of platformisation varies by occupation, sector, and digital tool usage. The findings reveal that a significant number of workers now rely on digital devices in their daily tasks, with digital monitoring and algorithmic management prevalent across various work environments. The survey highlights higher levels of platformisation among clerks and operators in high-tech industries, knowledge-intensive services, and public administration. Additionally, remote workers or those operating outside traditional employer premises are more likely to experience platformisation. While the use of platforms can lead to more structured and efficient work procedures, it also introduces challenges, such as increased monotony and stress, suggesting a complex relationship between platformisation and job satisfaction. This study underscores the transformative impact of platformisation on the nature of work, calling attention to the need for further research and policy consideration. The findings emphasise the importance of addressing the implications of digital labour platforms and algorithmic management for job quality, economic value, and the evolving landscape of employment in the digital era. Indeed, the study confirms that the integration of algorithmic management and surveillance technologies in the workplace poses significant risks to workers’ privacy, datarights, freedom of association, and overall well-being. These practices can erode working conditions and harm mental and physical health. Addressing these issues requires strict regulation of intrusive surveillance and the development of a comprehensive policy framework for algorithmic management and digital monitoring." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Procentese, Fortuna, Flora Gatti & Emiliano Ceglie (2025): Technostress and work-family interface in the face of COVID-19-related remote work: the moderator role of goals setting and prioritization skills. In: Community, work & family, Jg. 28, H. 2, S. 272-290. DOI:10.1080/13668803.2023.2247147

Abstract

"During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, in Italy, a nationwide lockdown required a massive shift to remote work – that is, from workers’ houses. The risk of conflict between work and family domains increased due to the collapse of both into private houses and may have been further burdened due to no training being issued to help workers adjust to these changes in their work activities, producing higher rates of technostress. This study deepens the impact of technostress creators on the conflicts between work and family domains and the role of workers’ goal setting and prioritization skills as moderators easing these relationships. Data were gathered from 375 remote workers during the Italian nationwide lockdown using an online questionnaire. Results show that higher scores in technostress creators positively associate with both work-to-family and family-to-work conflicts and the former relationship becomes stronger as workers’ planning skills increase. They highlight the need to consider the pitfalls of remote work, as it can also have detrimental effects on workers’ family and relational life, and to find a better balance between work and family domains from a systemic perspective." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Sargent, Kristina & Jue Wang (2025): A one way ticket to gig? In: Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Jg. 239. DOI:10.1016/j.jebo.2025.107253

Abstract

"We propose a search and matching model to explore the labor market implications of a growing gig economy. The economy has conventional and gig sectors, with workers searching in both. Some workers never consider gig employment, and others do under certain conditions. Workers are allowed to work in both sectors at the same time if they prefer. Workers match with gig positions with probability one, but gig workers face a wage penalty and matching frictions in the conventional sector. As a result, gig work serves as an alternative to unemployment, the gig sector absorbs labor market slack from the conventional sector, but the choice to engage in the gig economy comes at a cost to workers. By comparing the implications of the model under various levels of exposure to the gig economy, we explore the nature of the sector and the opportunities and consequences that come with it. The benchmark model provides insights into the rise of the gig economy, highlighting its impact on workers and the segmentation of the labor markets. While the presence of the gig sector opens up new job opportunities, potential welfare implications from the existence of the gig sector and its frictions are estimated to range from a benefit around 80% to a cost of around 20%, and directly impact up to two-thirds of the workforce relative to a standard search model with no gig sector. The costs mostly apply to workers with middle to lower productivity, and therefore have important distributional implications. Promoting a more inclusive gig economy can enable market systems to address labor market challenges while preserving their innovative and adaptive capabilities. As a case study, the gig economy highlights the balance between market efficiency and social equity, providing valuable perspectives on labor relations, creative destruction, and policy solutions grounded in market economics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Published by Elsevier B.V.) ((en))

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Shaiwalini, Shipra & Subhendu Patnaik (2025): Unpacking the gig economy: key enablers and barriers for gig work – a systematic review and future research directions. In: Personnel Review, S. 1-28. DOI:10.1108/pr-09-2024-0829

Abstract

"Purpose: This study systematically reviews and synthesizes existing literature on gig work to identify its key enablers and barriers. With the rise of algorithmically managed digital platforms, gig work faces unique challenges. The review aims to offer insights and guide future research on this evolving labour market segment. Design/methodology/approach Using Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems framework, this study systematically reviews 83 research articles from leading journals over the past two decades. The framework helps organize and analyse the factors influencing gig work at various levels. Findings The review identifies upskilling opportunities and peer-to-peer networks facilitated by digital technologies as key enablers, while gaps in worker protections and regulatory oversight are significant barriers. Gaps in current research, particularly on the long-term impacts of gig work, are also highlighted. Practical implications The findings inform policymakers, platform managers and gig workers, providing strategies to address the evolving challenges of gig work. Policymakers can craft balanced regulations, while platforms can improve worker satisfaction and performance. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution by applying Bronfenbrenner’s framework to synthesize gig work research. It provides a structured analysis of enablers and barriers and lays the foundation for future research in this field." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Emerald Group) ((en))

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Smerdon, David, Samuel Pearson & Sabina Albrecht (2025): Physical proximity drives gay discrimination in the gig economy. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Jg. 122, H. 11. DOI:10.1073/pnas.2412362122

Abstract

"Despite legal protections, discrimination based on sexual orientation remains difficult to detect and measure in labor markets. We present evidence from a field experiment (N = 1,128) conducted in Australia on a major gig economy platform that allows users to outsource everyday tasks. By manipulating both the sexual orientation of job posters (gay vs. straight male) and physical proximity requirements of tasks (inside vs. outside the home), we identify discrimination against gay profiles and demonstrate a specific mechanism for its emergence: physical proximity. Gay profiles received fewer offers and less engagement, and attracted workers with significantly lower quality ratings, but only for tasks requiring close physical proximity. Additional exploratory analysis further suggests that the results are driven by an anti-gay bias rather than an anti-men or pro-women bias and that discrimination is stronger for tasks with a higher degree of interaction between worker and job poster. Our findings demonstrate how digital labor platforms can perpetuate traditional forms of discrimination, while shedding light on physical proximity as one important mechanism. These results have important implications for users of the gig economy, a sector of increasing importance due to its rapid growth and comparatively lax regulatory frameworks." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Stanton, Christopher T. & Catherine Thomas (2025): Who Benefits from Online Gig Economy Platforms? In: The American economic review, Jg. 115, H. 6, S. 1857-1895. DOI:10.1257/aer.20221189

Abstract

"Online labor platforms for short-term remote work have many more job seekers than available jobs. Despite their relative abundance, workers capture a substantial share of the surplus from transactions. We draw this conclusion from demand estimates that imply workers’wages include significant markups over costs and a survey that validates our surplus estimates. Workers retain a significant share of the surplus because demand-side search frictions and worker differentiation reduce direct competition. Finally, we show that applying traditional employment regulations to online gig economy platforms would lower job posting and hiring rates, reducing aggregate surplus for all market participants, including workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Tisch, Anita (2025): Menschengerechte Gestaltung von Arbeit in einer digitalisierten Arbeitswelt. In: Sozialmagazin H. 7/8, S. 91-97. DOI:10.3262/SM2508091

Abstract

"Die fortschreitende Digitalisierung verändert die Arbeitswelt und stellt auch das Sozialwesen vor neue Herausforderungen. Um diesen wirksam begegnen zu können und die Potenziale digitaler Technologien zu nutzen, sind klare Gestaltungsprinzipien wichtig. Der Beitrag beleuchtet, welche Bedeutung ausgewählte, von der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin entwickelte Kriterien menschengerechter Arbeitsgestaltung haben." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

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Vasiakina, Mariia & Christian Dudel (2025): The hidden costs of technological change: investigating pathways through which highly automatable jobs undermine workers’ health in Germany. (MPIDR working paper / Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research 2025-032), Rostock, 29 S. DOI:10.4054/mpidr-wp-2025-032

Abstract

"The ongoing economic transformation driven by automation has significant social implications, particularly for the health and well-being of workers who face the risk of job displacement and the pressure to acquire new skills and qualifications. However, the specific pathways through which exposure to automation risk affects health outcomes remain poorly understood, and the relative contribution of each potential mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we examine the nature of the relationship between high workplace exposure to automation risk and a range of subjective health outcomes – including self-reported health, anxiety, and both physical and mental component summary scores from the SF-12 Health Survey – among workers in Germany. Using data from the German Socio-EconomicPanel (SOEP) linked with administrative records from the Occupational Panel for Germany (2014–2022), we apply the Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analysis method to assess whether broader indicators of economic uncertainty, alongside automation-specific factors, mediate the relationship between high automation risk and workers’ health. Our results indicate that the negative impact of high automation risk on health in Germany primarily operates through indirect pathways (related to mediators) for both genders, with the exception of physical health among male workers, where a direct negative effect is also evident. Economic concerns – particularly job insecurity and worries about one’s future financial situation – emerge as more significant mediators than automation-specific factors. Overall, our findings suggest that the mechanisms linking high automation risk to health are gender- and context-sensitive, and are shaped by broader economic conditions and workplace environments." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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Zwysen, Wouter & Bianca Luna Fabris (2025): Digital labour and welfare regimes: The impact of the institutional context on the prevalence of platform work. In: Competition and Change, S. 1-21. DOI:10.1177/10245294251349484

Abstract

"Platform work is on the rise across Europe, but not similarly across countries as shown from the as yet limited cross-national research. This study sets out to analyze how structural differences in the organization of the economy and welfare state shape individual’s engagement with platform work and particularly (1) the take-up of platform work; and (2) the extent to which the more economically vulnerable are overrepresented. In a context where the labour market is more regulated, workers are more protected, and there is a more generous safety net, there is less need to engage in generally precarious platform work. This study makes use of two comparable cross-national datasets on engagement in platform work across Europe. We find indications that platform work is generally less likely in countries where there is greater social spending and redistribution, higher passive labour market policy spending, and lower labour market dualization. Such factors, namely, social security and the regulation of the labour market, particularly protect more vulnerable workers." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

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(2025): Smarter Workplaces: The Role of AI in Promoting Occupational Safety and Health. Potsdam, 16 September 2025. Proceedings. (baua: Fokus), Dortmund, 42 S. DOI:10.21934/baua:focus20250729

Abstract

"Tagungsbericht des Workshops AI4POSH - Smarter Workplaces: The Role of AI in Promoting Occupational Safety and Health, welcher im Rahmen der 48. Deutschen KI-Konferenz in Potsdam vom 16.-19. September 2025, stattgefunden hat. Der Workshop wurde von PD Dr. Thea Radüntz, der Gruppenleitung der Fachgruppe "Künstliche Intelligenz in der Arbeitswelt" der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin organisiert. Der Workshop AI4POSH beleuchtete die vielfältige und wachsende Rolle von Künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) in der Entwicklung gesunder, sicherer und menschzentrierter Arbeitsplätze. Die Beiträge umfassten vielfältige Anwendungen in den Bereichen Gesundheitsförderung am Arbeitsplatz, Arbeitsmedizin, psychische Gesundheit, algorithmisches Management, Risikobewertung und KI-gestützte Operationen. Die Beiträge betrachteten sowohl das Potenzial als auch die Herausforderungen von KI: von technischen Innovationen wie Sensornetzwerken und Bildanalyse bis hin zu menschenzentrierten Themen wie digitale Souveränität, Engagement und Arbeitsbelastungsmanagement. Zusammen spiegeln diese Arbeiten eine interdisziplinäre Bemühung wider, KI zur Förderung der Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz zu nutzen und gleichzeitig ihre Auswirkungen auf Arbeitnehmer und Organisationen kritisch zu untersuchen. Ziel des AI4POSH Workshops war es folglich, durch die kritische Analyse des Einflusses von intelligenten Systemen auf moderne Arbeitsplätze, einen Beitrag in der Entwicklung von sicheren, zugänglichen und fairen Arbeitsumfeldern im KI-Zeitalter, zu leisten." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)

Abstract

"Instead of flexi-work and increased labor participation for women, the platform economy has deepened intersectional inequalities—of gender, class, geography, and race—making women workers more vulnerable. At the Beijing+30 conjuncture, we urgently need multi-scalar policy responses that can get our institutions ready for a feminist future of work. To explore the building blocks of this imperative, IT for Change, DAWN, and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) convened a series of four consultations in the Asia-Pacific, Africa, Europe, and Latin America in February 2025, bringing together 50+ feminist scholars, practitioners, gender equality experts, lawyers focused on labor rights, and trade union representatives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Zitatform

Abeliansky, Ana Lucia, Matthias Beulmann & Klaus Prettner (2024): Are they coming for us? Industrial robots and the mental health of workers. In: Research Policy, Jg. 53, H. 3. DOI:10.1016/j.respol.2024.104956

Abstract

"How does the increasing use of robots affect the mental health of workers? To investigate this question, we combine individual mental health data from the German Socioeconomic Panel with data on the stock of robots in 14 manufacturing sectors provided by the International Federation of Robotics for the period 2002–2018. Using mediation analysis andan instrumental variable approach, we find that higher robot intensity is associated with deteriorating mental health, an effect that is mainly driven by worries about job security and a lower sense of achievement on the job. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that higher robot intensity has particularly severe negative effects on the mental health of workers close to retirement, in low-skilled occupations and performing routine jobs. Women and men are affected similarly, as are workers of all educational levels. Our results indicate the presence of hidden (health) costs of automation that policymakers need to address." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2024 Elsevier) ((en))

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Abendroth, Anja-Kristin & Mareike Reimann (2024): Organisational inhibition and promotion of flexible working in digitalised work environments. In: New Technology, Work and Employment, Jg. 39, H. 1, S. 39-62. DOI:10.1111/ntwe.12275

Abstract

"Work-related use of digital information and communication technology (ICT) is not restricted to specific working sites and times. For employees, this can involve opportunities for flexible working, that is, having control over when and where to work. Applying an organisational comparative perspective, we examined whether adherence to the ideal worker norm inhibits and adherence to family-friendliness promotes flexible working as a consequence of ICT use. Linked employer–employee survey data from large German work organisations revealed that employees worked more flexibly in time and place due to work-related ICT use when supervisory work-life support was common. Mixed evidence is provided for the prevalence of ideal worker norm expectations. We conclude that work-life support in the organisation is a required complementary practice of flexible working for employees, promoting its dissemination." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))