The pandemic accelerated existing trends in remote work, e-commerce, and automation, with up to 25 percent more workers than previously estimated potentially needing to switch occupations.
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted labor markets globally during 2020. The short-term consequences were sudden and often severe: Millions of people were furloughed or lost jobs, and others rapidly adjusted to working from home as offices closed. Many other workers were deemed essential and continued to work in hospitals and grocery stores, on garbage trucks and in warehouses, yet under new protocols to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The future of work after COVID-19
This report on the future of work after COVID-19 is the first of three MGI reports that examine aspects of the postpandemic economy. The others look at the pandemic’s long-term influence on consumption and the potential for a broad recovery led by enhanced productivity and innovation. Here, we assess the lasting impact of the pandemic on labor demand, the mix of occupations, and the workforce skills required in eight countries with diverse economic and labor market models: China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Together, these eight countries account for almost half the global population and 62 percent of GDP. READ MORE
By Susan Lund, Anu Madgavkar, James Manyika, Sven Smit, Kweilin Ellingrud, Mary Meaney, and Olivia Robinson
Source: mckinsey.com
Forrester, projects that 70% of companies will pivot to a “work-from-anywhere,” hybrid work model in which at least a selection of employees can work anywhere at least two days a week, while spending the remaining days in an office.
As we start to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the world can begin to look to the future with increased optimism. Our 2021 reading list reflects that forward-thinking mentality while also offering reads that encourage reflection on the tumultuous past year.
Digital computing has limitations in regards to an important category of calculation called combinatorics. Computers that are predicated on the assumptions of quantum mechanics have the potential to perform much faster, and as a result many firms are already exploring the technology.
