The Skills and Employment Survey 2024 launch event on Monday 19 May 2025. This national study of around 5,500 adults in paid employment focuses on the work that people do and how working life has changed over time in the UK. It builds on similar surveys stretching as far back as 1986. The 2024 results will therefore provide a unique picture of change over the last 40 years.

The event will be chaired by Sarah O’Connor, Associate Editor of the Financial Times.  The research team – Alan Felstead, Rhys Davies, Duncan Gallie, Francis Green, Golo Henseke and Ying Zhou – will present headline findings of the survey and outline policy implications relating to four important questions forming the basis of these short reports:

  1. What Drives AI and Robot adoption? The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics in the workplace has sparked debates about their potential to reshape how we work, learn and interact. Against this backdrop, this report examines the evolution of work digitalisation since the 1990s, the drivers of AI and robot adoption in 2023/2024, and how technology adoption relates to workforce reductions.
  2. Are Skill Requirements on the Rise? Skills are integral to supporting the development of the United Kingdom as a high wage-high growth economy. This report examines key trends in qualifications held, the different types of skills used at work, trends in job related training and learning at work and the degree to which workers can use the qualifications, skills and experience that they possess.
  3. Is the Job Quality Gender Gap Narrowing? This report examines whether the job quality gender gap is widening or narrowing along six key dimensions: Working Time Quality, Weekly Earnings, Job Security, Autonomy & Skill, the Physical Environment and Work Intensity.  The report derives indices and tracks the gender gap at intervals over the last four decades.
  4. Is the Office Dying? This report examines historical trends in those working exclusively at home (homeworkers) and those working partly in the office and partly at home (hybrid workers). It identifies which groups have been affected most/least and highlights the factors most closely associated with workers’ ability to carve out dedicated spaces of work within the home to create a home office.

Hard copies of these reports will be available at the event and can be viewed online at wiserd.ac.uk/ses/.

The launch event will be preceded by a buffet lunch served from 12.30pm. Presentations will begin at 1.30pm with short introductions from the sponsors – the Economic and Social Research Council, the Department for Education, Acas and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland. This will be followed by 20-minute, theme-focused presentations by the research team, followed by a period of discussion. The event is estimated to end at 3:45pm.

The event is free, but places are limited, and attendance will be by prior registration only. If you would like to attend, please sign up by 5pm Friday 9 May 2025 and select the in-person attendance ticket.

REGISTER HERE

The event will also be live streamed to registered participants. If you would like to join us virtually, please select the online attendance ticket and sign up by 5pm Wednesday 14 May 2025. It is important to note that if you join us online you will be able to watch the event but there will be no opportunity for interaction, and you will not be able to ask questions via the chat function.