Myrielle Gonschor presented the preliminary results of research on how automation affects employment, showing that contrary to popular fears, robots are not destroying jobs in European economies. She discussed the results at the 34th Annual Conference of the European Society for Population Economics in Barcelona on 19 June, 2021.

Are robots contributing to the rise of unemployment? So far the research findings are mixed: in some in countries robot adoption leads to layoffs, but in others there is no rise in jobless numbers. Four UNTANGLED researchers: are exploring the effects of robotisation on movements on the European job market: how robots affect rates of job loss and of finding new jobs. They are also analysing which groups of workers are particularly affected by robots.

On 21 April, all consortium partners met to officially launch UNTANGLED, setting out on our three-year mission to explore the effects of technological transformations, globalisation and demographic change on labour markets. In normal times the official inauguration of this Horizon2020 project would have taken place at KU Leuven, but due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions it was held online.