“Rat der Arbeitswelt” Expert Council Releases World of Work Report
Dates and NewsZEW Economist Melanie Arntz Advises Federal Ministry on Labour Market Policy
Today, the “Rat der Arbeitswelt” Council presented its World of Work Report 2023. The deputy head of the Research Unit “Labour Markets and Social Insurance” at ZEW Mannheim, Professor Melanie Arntz, is a member of the independent council of experts. In its second large report about the future of the workplace in Germany, the Council focused in on ecological and digital transformations. Coping with these transformations in light of demographic change will call for joint efforts by all players in the labour market.
ZEW economist Professor Melanie Arntz stresses that further education is crucial in order to overcome the skilled worker shortage: “The working world is facing big challenges in the form of digital and ecological transformations, as well as the skilled worker shortage. Against this backdrop, it will be essential to design the labour market to be more inclusive and participatory. If we want to achieve far-reaching and easy access to further education, a needs-based and transparent further education system should be established as a sort of fourth pillar of the German education system, for example.”
Hubertus Heil welcomes recommendations
Federal Minister of Labour Hubertus Heil, who brought the Council into being in 2020, welcomes the suggestions of the independent committee: “Despite the massive changes in the working world, the bottom line is that there will be no loss of jobs in Germany − that is the central message of the second World of Work Report. However, the digital and ecological transformations can only be successful if everyone involved works together. In this regard, the ‘Rat der Arbeitswelt’ has provided important and research-based policy recommendations on how action can be taken in company practice and in politics. For that, I am very grateful to them.”
About the World of Work Report
The double transformation – that is, the interaction of digitalisation and decarbonisation – is the main focus of the second report as far as the future of the working world is concerned. The report includes substantiated analyses and forward-thinking recommendations for policymakers and the economy to cope with current and future challenges.
About the “Rat der Arbeitswelt”
The “Rat der Arbeitswelt” is an interdisciplinary committee whose members represent employees, businesses as well as academia. The mission of the Council is to provide more guidance on the changing world of work against the backdrop of overarching driving forces and trends. This is intended to contribute to a deeper understanding of operational change processes and their impact on workers. The policy recommendations of the Council are intended to lead to improvements in the world of work – especially in regards to cooperation between businesses and social partners.
