Work Inc, 2028
With technology radically reshaping the world of work, we need to evolve the social contract. There’s no time to lose, says Michael Davies
I have a confession. As an MBA student at London Business School I fervently argued about “portfolio careers” with my professor, Charles Handy, when he talked about the thesis of his now-revered book, The Future of Work.
“Pah!” I said, “More part-time work? People with a multitude of skills?” Well, it’s time to own it, Charles: I was wrong.
“Jobs will be fewer and farther between.” Check. “Jobs will be shorter as the 100,000 hours get whittled away and we work shorter weeks, years and lives.” Check.
(Some firms have been slow to cotton on, but broadly true.) Handy also predicted a “greatly increased demand for education”; another truth – perhaps even an English (or Irish) understatement.
It would have been hard to imagine even 10 years ago how technological forces were destined to transform employment in the way they have. In 2008 less than 1% of the world’s population had access at any moment to easy and fast connections and thus to most of the world’s information. By 2014 the planet was home to 7.2 billion gadgets, multiplying at a rate five times faster than that of the global population. By 2016, there were more smartphones than people working.
