Beneath the overall European and national employment numbers are many nuanced stories. We have built an extensive data set covering almost 1,100 local labor markets. The results show that job and population growth are increasingly concentrated in a small number of dynamic cities—and the gap between those cities and hundreds of shrinking regions is widening.
Our research looks at the trends of the past decade, since the starting point in each local economy today will determine its ability to adapt in the years ahead as more work activities are automated. Then we take a forward-looking view that combines the potential for displacement, the potential for job growth, and demographic trends. Together they paint a picture of how the future of work might play out across Europe after the COVID-19 crisis abates.