Three major transitions \u2014 digital, green and demographic \u2014 influence the current labour market, and women are disproportionately affected by these shifts, experts warn.<\/p>\n
During a panel discussion held in Brussels on Monday (13 October), trade union representatives voiced concerns that future-oriented jobs in the digital and green sectors remain significantly male-dominated, with men representing over 60 percent of employees in these fields.<\/p>\n
Jobs in construction, transport, industry, and agriculture are those often regarded as \u201cfuture-oriented occupations” or, in other words, they are expected to grow and remain relevant in the future.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the European Commission published a report<\/a> on the future of jobs in the EU, revealing that women are concentrated in professions most vulnerable to automation and the growing influence of AI \u2014 making them more at risk of job displacement.<\/p>\n Men tend to work in fields where higher digital skills are needed and are more likely to finish training that enhances these digital skills, Nora Wukovits-Votzi, co-author of the report, said during the discussion on Monday. <\/p>\n It is estimated that about one-in-five jobs could be affected by AI, with the most hit areas being financial services, education, public administration, health services and construction.<\/p>\n In so-called \u201cgreen jobs,\u201d a term used for occupations connected to sustainability and the environment, the commission found that women account for only 28 percent of the workforce.<\/p>\n \u201cThe high digitally-skilled male-dominated jobs [are] being much more prioritised,” warned Agnieszka Piasna, a senior researcher from the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI<\/a>), referring to the new competitiveness policies currently driven by the commission.<\/p>\n She added that female-dominated professions are often overlooked in the name of economic growth.<\/p>\n In addition, Europe’s current AI workforce, those working and having the expertise to build and sustain AI systems, is seen as small and predominantly male.<\/p>\n