As digitalisation and AI transform the labour market, reshaping jobs, changing the way we work and creating new occupations, Cedefop and EU-OSHA are joining forces to raise awareness of the emerging skills gaps, and the opportunities and risks related to occupational safety and health (OSH). This collaboration aims to support both the European workforce and workplaces in adapting to the demands of the digital era while fostering a sustainable, inclusive, safe and healthy European labour market.
Digital jobs: skills gaps, emerging risks and challenges
Findings from Cedefop’s latest European Skills and Jobs Survey (ESJS2) covering 46 000 workers, alongside EU-OSHA’s ESENER 2024 (41 000 establishments) and OSH Pulse survey 2022 (among 27 000 workers) highlight the profound implications of digitalisation for both skills development and OSH.
Cedefop’s research underscores the impact of digital technologies on job skills and continuing vocational training, shedding light on shifting skills demands, emerging job profiles, and widening gaps, particularly in AI-driven and digital-intensive sectors.
Job automation
- 20% of the adult workforce believe that AI can do more than half of their job tasks.
- Among those already using AI at work, 30% have seen some of their tasks eliminated, while 41% have taken on new ones.
- For 68%, AI's primary impact is increased efficiency, enabling them to complete tasks more quickly.
AI skill gap and upskilling
- 61% of European workers agree that they will need new knowledge and skills to cope with the impact of AI tools on their work in the next five years.
- Only 15% of adult European workers have participated in training to develop their knowledge and skills in using AI tools or systems in the past year.
- However, 44% doubt that their employer will provide the necessary training.
Beyond skills gaps, digitalisation is also reshaping occupational safety and health in profound ways. EU-OSHA’s extensive research on the impact of digitalisation on OSH provides crucial insights for policy development, prevention strategies, and practical applications, addressing both the challenges and opportunities of digitalisation in the context of OSH.
In sectors such as education, where AI-driven tools are becoming increasingly prevalent, new OSH challenges are arising, affecting teachers' safety, health, and well-being. Meanwhile, the rise of platform work—already 11.5 million people across the EU earn part or most of their income through digital platforms—has introduced new vulnerabilities. Platform workers may lack fundamental OSH protections and access to collective bargaining and social dialogue.
Among the key risks associated with digital technologies:
- 34% of companies report increased work intensity.
- 32% cite information overload.
- 27% highlight blurred boundaries between work and private life
In addition, among the emerging risks and challenges:
- AI-driven worker management introduces psychosocial risks, such as social isolation and dehumanisation, by reducing human interaction and weakening workplace relationships.
- Remote work and AI-driven scheduling can reinforce traditional gender roles and stereotypes by increasing domestic burdens on women.
- The use of some types of digital technologies potentially heightens exposure to workplace cyberviolence and harassment.
Towards a skills-based and safe digital transition
For workplaces and workers to fully realise the benefits of digital transformation, vocational education and training must integrate OSH principles into digital skills development. Ensuring that workers receive tailored OSH training is essential for fostering sustainable competitiveness, innovation, and worker well-being.
Together, Cedefop and EU-OSHA are working to integrate skills intelligence and OSH considerations into policies, ensuring that the European workforce and workplaces are future-proofed. The joint efforts focus on promoting safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital work environments, while addressing the digital and AI skills gap, where insufficient reskilling and upskilling risk undermining both the benefits of the twin transition and workplace safety.
As automation accelerates, the EU is prioritising workforce development to ensure workers are both digitally proficient and protected from emerging risks in the evolving labour market.
