Digests

How robots will change our jobs: In her FutuRes research, macroeconomist Emily Barker looked at how automation will impact jobs. Specifically, she analysed jobs that require different education levels. Jobs with many repetitive tasks are most likely to be affected.
 

Advantages of resilience over robustness: Often, the hope is to “fix” demographic change by raising fertility rates. However, the call for higher birth rates is a response influenced by the principle of “robustness”. Instead, we need a response of “resilience”.
 

Resource-sharing between generations: Research from the FutuRes team at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics points to how the exchange of intergenerational support between individuals, families and households may evolve in the future. This is relevant especially in the context of changes that are reshaping kinship and social networks.

How to move past ageism in Europe: Ageism undermines societal resilience. Luckily, the roadmap to an age-friendly Europe already exists: Research and the imagination of Europe's citizens. These are the most promising anti-ageism approaches.

Decisions for or against parenthood: When a society is hit by crisis, many people postpone their childbearing plans – or even abandon them. Policymakers wish to know how to build resilience for young people. It appears that good health and stable partnerships are key for this.

The risk of pension gaps: The term "pay gap" is widely known, but how about the pension gap in older age? How equal will our bank accounts be as we age? The FutuRes team at TU Vienna use mathematical simulations to examine this question. They are finding indications for high risks of inequality.