How does the digital transformation of the labour market impact the young workforce?

Abstract

The world today is digital and therefore, digital transformation (DT) is omnipresent in all personal and professional day-to-day routines, particularly in the labour market among the young workforce. The business sector and labour market have undergone significant changes due to this matter that has become essential for most companies. In fact, in this era of constant change, digital transformation is seen as cultural evolution, a social phenomenon and as the formation or development of business models for organisations. This research aims to determine how the digital transformation of the labour market affects the young workforce and evaluate this impact. To test the hypothesis that the digital transformation of the labour market significantly affects the young workforce, six interviews were conducted with young employees and young jobseekers in Ireland and Spain. Respondents answered the same twenty questions. These were about their personal experience of job search and job development before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the digital transformation of the labour market they went through affected them. Results show how young workers highlight the positive impact over the disadvantages. These results suggest that young adults positively adapted to the digital challenge provoked by the pandemic as it enabled them to develop their capacity for adaptation and their digital skills. On this basis, they highlight how essential it is to be aware of being digitally literate in order to develop their skills and professional careers successfully.