By Martín Padulla

How is the labour issue solved? Can we be optimistic?

If we observe the situation from young people’s perspective, the scenery is complex: unemployment, informality, in certain cases exclusion, in other outrage.

If we contemplate such scenery from the organizations’ point of view, it does not get any better: talent shortage, a need of skills not provided by the market and problems when planning sustainable growth.

How is the future of labour envisaged? What can we do to make it more inclusive?

The future of labour seems to be associated to a context where three variables provide feedback and strengthen each other. Such variables are: mobility, flexibility and resilience.

Workflows depend on economic cycles and the mobility of productive capital and of people has become a reality. There shall be migratory waves influenced by opportunities and, in a global context of talent shortage, those who possess the skills required by the labour market, will be demanded for the best jobs throughout the world. Those who are not willing to think about themselves as mobile, will loose development opportunities. The region, due to its character of emerging market, shall be affected either in a positive or negative way as long as it generates –or not-, opportunities and a proper environment for productive investment.

The future of labour demands flexibility, the existence of multiple forms of contracts or hiring modes. This includes agents such as private employment agencies, which make employment supply and demand more dynamic; or freelance independent workers that offer their flexible services to multiple clients in different countries through an intensive use of technology; or entrepreneurs capable of adapting to the evolving needs of economies.

Adaptation to change has gained an increasing importance. The concept of resilience has become strategic.

Resilience is the ability an individual has to face adversity, the ability of adapting to stressful situations. It is a concept that comes from Physics, linked to the capacity some metals have of recovering their structure after being deformed. Within the Social Sciences, the concept means being able to overcome stress through a successful experience. It is the ability of emerging from a negative experience being stouter. “Whatever does not kill, makes you stronger”, used to say our hyper-resilient immigrant grandparents.

For generations Y and Z, these seem to be attributes that come in de DNA, for older people, they are a major challenge. For everyone, they implicate the need to develop skills: we need to be prepared for a labour world that demands mobility, flexibility and resilience. That way, we shall be contributing to our employability, to the certain possibility of developing successful careers and to achieving balance between our labour and personal life (worklife balance).

The reward is enticing… it is worth the try.

About Martin Padulla

Managing Director of staffingamericalatina. Martin Padulla is Sociologist (USAL), MBA (UCA) and labour markets expert. He published “Flexible Work in South America” and “Regulatory framework for private employment agencies in Latin America” two books about the new realities of work in Latin America.

mpadulla@staffingamericalatina.com

About staffingamericalatina

It is the unique independent digital media specialized in Latin American´s labour markets.

Produce and spread contents, researches and developments about issues such us Employability, Youth Employment, Training for Employment, Decent Work, Private Employment Agencies, Active policies for employment, Teleworking, Public and private actions for the creation of decent work, Green Jobs and Corporate Social Responsibility.

It is the meeting point for companies, providers, candidates, service´s companies, academics and independent professionals of Latin America.

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