Employment and skills aspects of the digital single market strategy

The completion of the Digital Single Market is one of the ten political priorities identified by the European Commission. However, the ongoing and anticipated impact of digitalization and the digital single market not only provides opportunities, but also presents challenges in terms of the job dynamics and changes in the working conditions. This means that digitalisation requires a significant reorganisation of the labour market. The net effects of digitalisation on employment are ambiguous, but job losses in certain sectors are inevitable (OECD, 2014). Classic employer-employee relationships are under pressure. These transforming jobs require different skill requirements. In this context, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs of the European Parliament requested a long briefing note as part of its annual work plan for 2015. This paper will feed into its Opinion on the Report 'Towards a Digital Single Market Act' and into the debates of its Working Group on Digitalisation.