The Human Capital and Employment Unit in the Directorate Growth and Innovation of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission commissioned a consortium led by the National Institute for the Analysis of Public Policies (INAPP) in Italy, to compile tasks at the national level in four EU Member States as well as to test a model questionnaire on tasks content, methods and tools of workers in Europe. The four countries included in the task-mapping are Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK.

On the basis of an updated tasks framework, the team at IER will use existing UK data sources to compile a database containing indicators on the dimensions, sub-dimensions and elements of this tasks framework. The IER team will also cognitively test the JRC’s model questionnaire on tasks content, methods and tools of workers in Europe with a sample of UK workers. A ‘tasks’ approach has been proposed as one way to better understand some of the contemporary developments in labour markets, particularly the phenomenon of ‘job polarization’. This research builds upon a recent study by Eurofound which proposed a tasks framework classifying tasks along two main dimensions: the content of the tasks themselves (what people do at work) and the methods and tools used to perform those tasks (how people work).

This work will support DG Employment in the development of Vocational and Educational Training and Adult Learning policy.

Project Team:

Sally Wright (Principal Investigator)

Sudipa Sarkar

Project Duration:

December 2018 - November 2019

Project Funder: