Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing jobs and the workforce. Jobs differ in their ICT task intensity – the frequency with which ICT tasks are undertaken – with jobs in occupations such as software, finance, sales and marketing generally more ICT task intensive, while jobs in areas such as accommodation and food, and health and social work tend to have relatively lower ICT task intensity. The average ICT task intensity of jobs ranges from around 40% in the Russian Federation and Turkey to nearly 60% in Scandinavian countries. In almost all countries, the average ICT task intensity of jobs held by women is greater than that of men, with differences being most pronounced in Eastern European countries, as well as in the Russian Federation. Japan and Korea are the only countries where the average ICT task intensity of jobs held by men markedly exceeds that of women.
In terms of ICT-related tasks performed at work, “exchanging e-mails or entering data into databases” is the most common” activity - undertaken at least once a week by over 80% of people who use computers or computerised equipment at work in the EU28. Creating or editing electronic documents is also commonplace, with over 60% of workers performing these tasks. Almost one-in-four workers in European Union countries use social media for work purposes at least once a week, although the data do not distinguish the active posting of content from more passive uses, such as using social media to follow news.
On average, 30% of workers in the European Union use online applications to receive tasks or instructions for work, at least once a week. This includes those finding work through online platforms, as well as a wide range of situations such as workers in e-commerce fulfilment centres or hospital staff who receive instructions via apps on smart devices (e.g. the location of a product in a warehouse or of a patient in a hospital). About 11% regularly work on “developing and maintaining IT systems and software”. The highest proportion is found in Slovenia (18%) and the lowest in the Slovak Republic (4%).
Self-assessments offer one perspective on the extent to which workers’ skills match the ICT-related tasks needed for their work. In 2018, about 64% of workers using computers or computerised equipment at work in the European Union reported that their skills corresponded well to ICT-related aspects of their work duties. Meanwhile, 11% reported needing further training to cope with the ICT-related demands of their job. This figure is lower than the share of people whose ICT skills may be under-utilised: on average 25% declared that their digital skills exceed the requirements of their jobs. Considerable variation exists between countries, however. In Spain, France and Italy, nearly 20% of workers feel that they need further ICT training, while in Germany, Norway and Iceland, over a third report having more advanced ICT skills than used in their work duties.
