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According to a survey of about 32,000 employees globally, more than half (60%) were concerned about job security as a result of digitalisation.
PwC Global conducted a survey with some 32,000 employees, from Southeast Asia to Europe to the Middle East, to get a sense of what they fear—and hope for—most in year 2021. The results: becoming unemployed, and facing workplace discrimination.
According to the report, more than half (60%) were concerned about job security: losing their jobs mainly due to digitalisation. Therefore, having their job and skills turn irrelevant and obsolete within five years—losing possible long-term and stable employment—was their number one concern.
Here are some global highlights on the topic of job security:
- 60% are worried that automation is putting many jobs at risk;
- 48% believe traditional employment won't be around in the future, and that we’ll sell our skills on a short-term basis to those who need them;
- 56% think few people will have stable, long-term employment in the future; this jumps to 81% in India;
- 61% feel that their government should act to protect jobs, with that feeling being more acute among 18–34-year-olds (66%) than those over 55 (51%);
- 39% think it’s likely that their job will be obsolete within five years.
Having proper workplace inclusivity is also important to employees, because 50% faced discrimination at work, as shared in the study. Some were passed over because of their age, ethnicity, or gender.
Here are some global highlights on the topic of workplace inclusion:
- 50% of workers say they’ve faced discrimination at work, which led to them to miss out on career advancement or training;
- 22% were passed over because of their age — with younger workers just as likely as older people to be affected;
- 13% report missing out on opportunities as a result of ethnicity;
- 14% of workers have experienced discrimination on the grounds of gender, with women twice as likely to report gender discrimination as men;
- 13% report discrimination on the basis of social class or background.
With fears, comes hope. Other than having the opportunity to reskill themselves to remain relevant in the modern workforce, employees also hoped for a work routine that can incorporate both a physical and virtual environment, especially amid the pandemic.
Another interesting insight from the report is the majority of employees (75%) across the globe preferred to work for an organisation that will make a positive contribution to society more than an organisation that maximises their income.
Image / @arlington_research, Unsplash
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