How will a recent drop in employment affect Warwick students?

I’ve only been at university for a month yet thoughts about next summer have already entered my mind. To be clear, I am not fantasising about the time away from academic studies whilst relaxing in the sun. Instead, I’m thinking about what form of internship, work experience or employment I’d like to partake in. The student life is as much about planning for the future as it is about attending lecture theatres. Even at sixth form, weekend work was a vital part of my development: earning money, gaining experience and learning new skills. 

I imagine this is the case for most students. But could the trends be changing? According to the BBC, employment among under 25s has started to fall, with the general unemployment rate rising to an estimated 3.9% from 3.8%. While wages continue to rise, the number of people in work has fallen by 56,000. The figures don’t appear too dramatic – yet – but it does demonstrate how employment is continuing to evolve and transform, perhaps not necessarily for the better. 

The image of a Deliveroo cyclist may be cliché, but it highlights how the means of earning money – so vital in our consumerist society – has so altered

We are constantly told that we now live in the ‘gig economy’ with greater flexibility over work, zero-hour contracts and the permanence of secure employment fading away. The image of a Deliveroo cyclist may be cliché, but it highlights how the means of earning money – so vital in our consumerist society – has so altered. The meaning of what work is today could not be more different from just a few decades ago. 

Brilliant films like Brassed Off and Billy Elliot excellently capture the sense of solidarity that existed among coal miners back in the 20th century. Despite the eventual closure of the mines, for decades the form of work had been certain and secure. With the transition towards service sector employment, the security that primary and secondary work used to provide has diminished. 

This can also be reflected in the security and representation trade unions used to provide. According to The Guardian, trade union membership was more than 13 million in the late 1970s, which enabled solidarity and unity among workers against potentially exploitative managers. Membership has dramatically fallen to 6.35 million in 2018, with less than a quarter of employees now trade union members. It is no wonder that the future of work feels less certain and clear when the organisations that were meant to provide representation have so declined. 

There is an aspect of employment that is likely to affect all our working lives and future employment choices. I talk, of course, of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Fortune website predicted AI could replace 40% of jobs in just 15 years which would completely transform how each of us chooses to work and what jobs remain available. Yet, perhaps due to Brexit, this receives hardly any media or political attention. Like globalisation, AI is a process that cannot be stopped but instead requires regulation. It is surprising that very little debate or discussion on the varying strands of this automation transformation is taking place. 

Like globalisation, AI is a process that cannot be stopped but instead requires regulation

AI raises so many vital points of discussion that politicians need to discuss. For the jobs AI does replace, human workers will need to be retrained. Artificial Intelligence will need regulating so it cannot be exploited for malicious ends. The role of humans in work – especially in the care sector and education – also needs to be defended. This is such a complex issue which is why conversations need to take place and why it should have started years ago. 

As employment changes, society must re-energise its commitment to humankind to ensure that work becomes fulfilling and worthwhile. Talks of working a four-day week, which would allow people more time with friends and family, continue to rise up the political agenda. A Universal Basic Income, where everyone would receive a basic amount of money regardless of prior wealth, is being trialled around the world. Whatever system ends up in place, politicians, employers and individuals have a duty to ensure the process of work provides a stable wage and adds immense value to society.