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Automation and COVID-19

Various studies suggest that COVID-19 has accelerated technology adoption. Further, remote working could significantly transform labour markets. Resources on this shelf consider the various immediate and ongoing impacts of the pandemic for work. This shelf has been curated by IFOW. We are keen to critically engage with a wide range of perspectives on the future of work. These resources do not necessarily reflect the views of IFOW.

Automation and COVID-19

The Big Acceleration: Technology Through COVID

In this video panellists consider the impact of COVID-19 on jobs and the economy.
Automation and COVID-19

Distancing Bonus Or Downscaling Loss? The Changing Livelihood of US Online Workers in Times of COVID‐19

The Oxford Internet Institute finds that highly skilled IT freelancers are in high demand throughout the crisis, described as ‘pandemic proof jobs’.
Automation and COVID-19

Perceptions and behavioural responses of the general public during the COVID-19 pandemic

This UK survey found those with the lowest household income were six times less likely to be able to work from home and three times less likely to be able to self-i
Automation and COVID-19

Work That Can Be Done from Home: Variation within and across Occupations and Industries

This research finds a direct correlation between ability to work from home, as enabled through computer based teleworking during COVID, and income.
Automation and COVID-19

Inequality in the Impact of the Coronavirus Shock: Evidence from Real Time Surveys

New research finds a direct correlation between income and ability to work from home. On average, those earning less than £20k can only do 30% tasks from home, versus 58% of those earning more than £50k. This presents significant questions
Automation and COVID-19

Too Few Lousy jobs? The Labour Market after Covid-19

This blog by David Autor takes a system perspective on the impact of remote working on wider labour market changes.
Automation and COVID-19

Unequal Consequences of COVID-19 across Age and Income: Representative Evidence from Six Countries

Automation and COVID-19

How do you find clarity in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis?

A corporate survey of 2,900 executives suggests 36% are already taking steps to automate, and 41% are re-evaluating their plans.
Automation and COVID-19

The UK’s technology moment – why 2020 can be the year that changed our trajectory on tech

Be the Business (BTB) and McKinsey find that UK SMEs significantly accelerated their adoption of technology, undergoing “three years’ worth of innovation in just three months of the lockdown period”.
Automation and COVID-19

The business response to Covid-19: the CEP-CBI survey on technology adoption

A CEP-CBI survey of UK businesses in July 2020 found that more than 60% of firms had adopted new digital technologies (e.g. remote working technologies or cloud computing) or new management practices since the start of the pandemic.
Automation and COVID-19

COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: Assessing jobs at risk and the impact on people and places

This McKinsey study in May 2020 found a close correlation between jobs at risk because of Covid-19, and jobs at risk because of displacement of routine jobs.
Automation and COVID-19

The Pandemic's Affect on Online Freelance Work

This blog considers the way Covid-19 has impacted labour market polarisation.
Automation and COVID-19

The impact of automation on labour markets: Interactions with Covid-19

This IFOW paper explores possible interactions between Covid-19 and labour market trends attributed to the disruption of new technology.

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