Beschreibung:
In the next ten years the demographic composition of the labour force is likely to change considerably. Broadly in most European countries the proportion of youth and the elderly are likely to shrink, while that of female prime‐age workers is expected to rise significantly. Also in the labour demand changes will take place: a relative decrease in industrial labour, predominantly male, and an increase in service workers, predominantly female and younger workers. The sharp increase in female labour force participation as well as the structural shift towards more services will be an incentive for more flexible labour contracts. These contracts are part of an irreversible trend.