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IER joins JUST-Systems project to examine the implications of net zero for domiciliary care

Achieving a Just Transition to Net Zero is one of the defining challenges of modern times. At IER, we're excited to be part of the newly announced JUST-Systems project, funded by UKRI and led by the University of Aberdeen. JUST-Systems is one of two projects sharing £10m to take a novel systems approach to net zero. The JUST-Systems project aims to develop practical pathways and accelerate actions that build on community aspirations for sustainable, liveable and resilient places.  

Using a systems approach and looking at the need for a just transition, the project will identify opportunities to accelerate decarbonisation while addressing societal challenges related to fuel poverty, sustainable local economies, wellbeing, and social justice. IER will be responsible for a case study examining the implications of net zero in the Welsh social care sector. Redesigning domiciliary care is vital to building climate resilience. Domiciliary care workers across the UK are estimated to travel more than four million miles daily, mainly utilising private vehicles, due to inadequate public transport and limited availability of electric vehicles. Most workers cannot afford newer fuel-efficient cars, and fuel costs are high, particularly in rural areas. Demand for care will grow dramatically, given the focus on ageing in place and a growing older population. Therefore, the system of domiciliary care delivery is a critical test case for Net Zero.

IER joins global research network: Work-Net International

Professor Trine LarsenLink opens in a new window and Dr Emily EricksonLink opens in a new window recently represented IER at the inaugural launch of , a new global alliance of research centres and institutes dedicated to advancing work and employment research. This international network creates a collaborative platform for researchers to share expertise, develop joint research initiatives, and enhance the impact of their work. IER is excited to engage with network partners on future research projects and impact activities that will strengthen our global understanding of workplace dynamics and employment relationships.  
 

IER director shapes global dialogue on AI and green jobs at Riyadh conference

In February IER Director, Professor Chris WarhurstLink opens in a new window, was an invited speaker at the Global Labour Markets Conference in Riyadh. It’s a new, annual event involving the World Bank, ILO and United Nations, global trade union organisations and C-suite business leaders.

Professor Chris Warhurst participated in two sessions, the first a presidential-style ‘gloves off’ debate about skills and AI and the second presenting IER’s work on green jobs and a just transition.

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LMI for All: New blogs explore job quality indicators and generative AI's impact on employment

IER's Dr Sangwoo LeeLink opens in a new window discusses the importance of job quality indicators in labour market analysis, exploring their impact on employee wellbeing and economic outcomes. This highlights how job quality measures can be integrated into labour market information systems to support evidence-based policymaking. Using Eurofound’s job quality framework, Dr Sangwoo Lee constructed indicators based on the Understanding Society, one of the UK’s largest household surveys. While job quality research faces challenges due to its separation from socio-demographic and educational data, these indicators, despite missing some Eurofound dimensions, provide valuable insights into the relationship between job quality and individual characteristics. Dr Sangwoo Lee also estimates scores for four job quality dimensions by occupation: Prospects, Skills and Discretion, Work Intensity, and Working Time Quality.  

As the labour market continues to evolve with technological advancements, understanding both job quality and the impact of emerging technologies becomes increasingly important for researchers and policymakers alike. Recent debates about Generative AI's employment impact have moved beyond early alarmism, revealing a more complex picture of labour market disruption. While the World Economic Forum projects a net job increase by 2030, specific sectors face significant challenges, with emerging AI agents and robot training technologies potentially accelerating workplace transformation. In the , Graham Attwell emphasises that these developments underscore the critical importance of AI literacy and workforce retraining programs, as companies increasingly prepare their employees to collaborate effectively with AI systems.

Cedefop's latest Skills Forecast

Cedefop, the European Agency responsible for Vocational Education and Training, have released the latest update to their Skills Forecast data providing labour market projections at a pan-European level from 2022 to 2035. The project was led by with a consortium of European research organisations, including the IER, and individual country experts from across Europe.

The forecast takes account of global economic developments up to Autumn 2023, including the pandemic and responses to it, and provides policymakers with an overall picture of labour market trends and skills development in the EU. It estimates the size of the future labour force and future employment trends by sector and occupation for the EU and the 27 Member States. Further details can be explored via .