Deloitte's European workforce survey brings the views of the European workers to the attention of EU Policymakers to bridge the gap between the two groups.

Introduction

In Europe and around the world, the labour market was already facing disruptive changes before 2020. A shrinking workforce, the rise of digitalisation and automation, and shifts in skills needed were already at the centre of European policymaking worries. The COVID-19 pandemic forced faster adaptation to new ways of working and propelled existing trends forward at full speed.

In particular, remote working and flexible working arrangements settled in as the standard, rather than the exception. There has also been an increase in new – and non-standard – forms of work, not to mention a sizeable impact on the availability of jobs. Suddenly the upskilling and reskilling of individuals has taken on even more importance, with the aim to master labour market transitions and ensure swift economic recovery.

This article, part of the Voice of the European Workforce series, intends to show European policymakers what the workforce expects from the post-pandemic world of work. Workers’ views were collected in June 2020 as part of the Deloitte European Workforce Survey (see About the research), between the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Europe.

By bringing workers’ views to policymakers’ attention, we strive to bridge the gap between those two groups, to support decisions and policy actions that are relevant and address the most pressing issues. We explore workers’ perceptions about their professional future and key changes in their working environment during the pandemic, illustrating main concerns and challenges to be addressed by policymakers. We also examine the workforce’s expectations for policy interventions, highlighting differences across occupations and age groups. Finally, we offer key takeaways for policymakers to move forward.

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