04/2025 – Work in the Digital Age

The digital transformation is opening up new ways of working, collaborating and shaping the future – whether through remote work, AI-supported processes or virtual teams. This offers opportunities for more flexibility and efficiency but also presents great challenges for both businesses and employees. Defining how the world of work should be shaped and organised in the future is increasingly becoming a key societal and economic issue.

The current issue of ZEW Monthly, focusing on the theme “Work in the Digital Age”, highlights how technological developments are affecting employment, productivity and wages. ZEW research shows that employees often perceive AI as a supporting tool, yet many companies fall short of expectations when it comes to implementation. Women working as independent contractors on online platforms tend to earn less per hour than men – not due to discrimination, but because they use platforms differently. The use of robots also brings consequences: It is often associated with job losses, although works councils try to counteract this development.