Presented by Jeegar Kakkad (Tony Blair Institute for Global Change)
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred a large-scale experiment in the ability to work remotely and, in doing so, loosened the binds that previously tied a job to a specific geography. Now, there is a new class consisting of relatively well-paid, professional white-collar jobs that can be done remotely anywhere in the UK or, indeed, in the world. These are “Anywhere Jobs”. In this seminar, we will explore research that identifies the characteristics and prevalence of Anywhere Jobs. Using the Occupational Information Network (ONET) data set (a statistics database sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor), we analyse 100-plus work activities in more than 800 occupations to identify which need to be carried out in the UK and those with the greatest potential to be done anywhere in the world. We then map our ONET occupations’ analysis to a standardised ONS list of occupations in the UK. These data are then used to examine the individuals, the sectors and the geographies that are most likely to be most affected by the risk anywhere jobs will be outsourced or offshored.
Jeegar Kakkad is Head of Productivity & Innovation Policy at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. He is particularly interested in how technology is reshaping the future of work and the UK’s industrial structure.