Historical background and perspectives of the European labour market in view of Industry 4.0

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present the historical conditions and perspectives for the European labour market in view of Industry 4.0, with particular emphasis on the situation of young people. Its most important determinants are related to Industry 4.0 and the need to embrace the principles of sustainable development in the economic policies of the member states. This is an important challenge for the European Union, because the lack of opportunities for decent work hampers the opportunities of the youth, who will be responsible for solving global problems in the context of sustainable development. Therefore, the countries of the European Union should support their labour markets by expanding social security networks, striving to increase innovativeness of their economies, and fostering social resilience and resistance to disruption caused by technological change. The article both analytical and descriptive in scope, and the applied research method is the analysis of the literature output and statistical data.