6 Workforce of the future: The competing forces shaping 2030 The forces shaping the future The future of work asks us to consider the biggest questions of our age. What influence will the continuing march of technology, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) have on where we work and how we work? Will we need to work at all? What is our place in an automated world? Many commentators focus on technology and the role that automation is predicted to have on jobs and the workplace. We believe the real story is far more complicated. This is less about technological innovation and more about the manner in which humans decide to use that technology. The shape that the workforce of the future takes will be the result of complex, changing and competing forces. Some of these forces are certain, but the speed at which they unfold can be hard to predict. Regulations and laws, the governments that impose them, broad trends in consumer, citizen and worker sentiment will all influence the transition toward an automated workplace. The outcome of this battle will determine the future of work in 2030. When so many complex forces are at play, linear predictions are too simplistic. Businesses, governments and individuals need to be prepared for a number of possible, even seemingly unlikely, outcomes. Megatrends The megatrends are the tremendous forces reshaping society and with it, the world of work: the economic shifts that are redistributing power, wealth, competition and opportunity around the globe; the disruptive innovations, radical thinking, new business models and resource scarcity that are impacting every sector. Businesses need a clear and meaningful purpose and mandate to attract and retain employees, customers and partners in the decade ahead. The megatrends identified by PwC form the foundation for all our scenarios. How humans respond to the challenges and opportunities which the megatrends bring will determine the worlds in which the future of work plays out. Fi g ure 1: When you think about the future world of work as it is likely to affect you, how do you feel? 100 Excited – I see a world full of possibility 37 % Confident – I know that I will be successful 36 % Worried – I’m nervous about what the future holds Worried – I’m nervous about what the future holds 18 % Uninterested – I tend not to think too far ahead 8 % PwC survey of 10,029 members of the general population based in China, Germany, India, the UK and the US – base all those who are not retired 8,459