Search Results
20 results for future of work
The Role of Skills in the Future of Work
To survive and thrive in a fast-changing world, workers need to keep updating their skills to improve their employment chances, advance their careers, and meet the shifting needs of employers.1 Employers typically look for workers with proficiency in the technical and cognitive skills needed to do the job, but they also look for more
Posted on by Leave a commentAlgorithms and the Future of Work
An algorithm is a series of precise, step-by-step instructions used by a machine to perform a mathematical operation.[1] The use of algorithm-enabled systems and devices will bring many benefits to occupational safety and health but, as with many new technologies, there are also risks to workers. A new commentary in the American Journal of Industrial
Posted on by Leave a commentThe Role of Robotics in the Future of Work
NIOSH established the Future of Work Initiative in response to rapid changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. The Initiative seeks to prompt research and practical approaches to address future occupational safety and health concerns. Increased use and rapid technologic advances in robotics fits within the sphere of changes in how work will increasingly
Posted on by 3 CommentsThe Role of Technological Job Displacement in the Future of Work
The future of work holds many possibilities for technological advancements, which may alter the number, quality, and stability of jobs; create new jobs that vary in skill and wage level; and fundamentally change entire industries. Such developments, including digitalization, robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing, have the potential to lead to automation of unsafe tasks
Posted on by 1 CommentExploring the Future of Worker Health and Safety in the Post-Pandemic World
COVID-19 has had a profound effect on work. The short-term consequences of the pandemic, including new safety requirements at work, mandatory remote work arrangements, reduced working hours, and even unplanned furloughs or lost jobs, were unexpected and severe for many workers around the world [1-3]. Though the economy is now showing signs of recovery, experts
Posted on by 3 CommentsAdvanced Sensor Technologies and the Future of Work
Measuring worker exposure to hazardous substances is a key step to reducing risk and protecting workers. Sensors used in the workplace provide exposure data to inform prevention measures. Newer sensor technologies have the potential to greatly accelerate advances in occupational exposure science. A new commentary, Advanced Sensor Technologies and the Future of Work, in
Posted on by 3 CommentsThe Role of Demographics in the Future of Work
The future of work continues to be shaped by ongoing changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. Shifting workforce demographics will present both opportunities and challenges for occupational safety and health (OSH). A central challenge will be ensuring the equitable distribution of work-related benefits and risks that accompany these transformations. To meet this challenge,
Posted on by 4 CommentsThe Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Work
As discussed in a previous NIOSH Science Blog, artificial intelligence (AI) is in the process of transforming almost all aspects of society. Whether using an application to determine the best route to drive, receiving recommendations from Netflix on what to watch, or using face detection to logon to a personal smartphone, the use of AI
Posted on by 6 CommentsThe Role of Organizational Design in the Future of Work
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted our society and economy. Every day, employers and workers find themselves encountering unforeseen challenges, finding novel ways of working, and adapting to a “new normal.” In a time when much is unknown, one thing is clear: the future of work is already here. As it unfolds, the future of
Posted on by 6 CommentsRising to the Challenges and Opportunities Presented by the Future of Work: NIOSH Introduces its Future of Work Initiative
The future of work is influenced by many changes to workplace, work, and workforce factors such as organizational design, work arrangements, technological job displacement, artificial intelligence, robotics, technologies, demographics, economic security, and skills. Advances in the future of work offer many opportunities, but they also create challenges for the workplace and work, with consequences for the
Posted on by Leave a commentLabor Day 2019 Message: Future of Work and Total Worker Health
At NIOSH, we spend every day focused on improving the safety and health of the U.S. workforce who maintain and propel this country forward. This year’s 125th anniversary of Labor Day gives us the opportunity as a Nation to celebrate and appreciate all workers for their contribution to this country’s prosperity, strength and well-being. This
Posted on by 6 CommentsArtificial Intelligence: Implications for the Future of Work
What does Artificial Intelligence (AI) have to do with workplace safety and health? NIOSH has been at the forefront of workplace safety and robotics, creating the Center for Occupational Robotics Research (CORR) and posting blogs such as A Robot May Not Injure a Worker: Working safely with robots. However, much remains unknown regarding the related
Posted on by 60 CommentsNIOSH Working Hours, Sleep and Fatigue Forum: A Recap and Future Directions
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), has had a longstanding interest in nonstandard work hours and associated health and safety effects. The last NIOSH meeting on this topic was held in 2004 and centered around long working hours and the impact on injuries, illnesses, and health behaviors. To build on this expertise,
Posted on by 11 CommentsThe Future of Wearable Technology in the Workplace
Mention of a product or service does not constitute and endorsement by NIOSH or the Department of Health and Human Services. An era of remarkable innovation is underway. We’re looking at the advent of brand-new technologies called “Wearable Computers”. Wearable computers, also known as body-borne computers or wearables, are defined as “miniature electronic devices that are worn
Posted on by 54 CommentsA Reflection on World Futures Day 2024: NIOSH Efforts to Help Build a Better Tomorrow
Future Day was first celebrated worldwide on March 1, 2012 as a forward-looking reflection on all the possibilities the future holds for humanity.1 Just two years later, the global think tank Millennium Project helped expand the unofficial holiday into what is now recognized as World Futures Day.2 World Futures Day is structured as an
Posted on by Leave a commentProtecting the Well-being of the Nation’s Health Workforce
The American Journal of Public Health recently published a special supplement with 15 articles focusing on health worker mental health. As part of this special issue, our article Protecting the Mental Health and Well-being of the Nation’s Health Workforce summarizes the scope of the issue and prevention efforts underway at the Centers for Disease Control and
Posted on by Leave a commentAJPH Highlights Health Worker Mental Health
The American Journal of Public Health recently published a special supplement with 15 articles focusing on health worker mental health. This special issue of the journal was sponsored and edited by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and stems from the health worker mental health initiative from the Centers for Disease Control
Posted on by Leave a commentPrevention Through Design to Address Continuing Construction Workplace Deaths and Injuries
Nearly 1 in 5 of all workplace fatalities occur in the construction industry (BLS, 2024). In 2022 there were 1,092 fatalities in the construction industry (BLS, 2024); in 2021 and 2022 there were 144,480 cases of construction industry workers missing days away from work from a non-fatal injury or illness (BLS, 2023). These and other
Posted on by Leave a commentNIOSH Global Collaborations on Workplace Safety of Nanomaterials
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) has taken on a global leadership role on research and guidance for nanomaterials in the workplace since the formation of NTRC in 2004 [1]. Global Collaborations is one of the ten critical topic areas for nanotechnology research and communication identified by NTRC
Posted on by Leave a commentLooking to the Past and the Future of NIOSH Nanotechnology Guidance
NIOSH has been at the forefront of research on engineered nanomaterials since the early 2000’s. As the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) celebrates its 20th anniversary, we look back over two decades of NIOSH NTRC published guidance to help reduce worker exposures to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). Both companies and workers use this guidance to keep workers
Posted on by 2 Comments