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Prof. Li Lixing: Digital Economy Generates New Jobs and Fresh Challenges

May 11-2023   



In the recent NSD Policy Talk, Prof. Li Lixing delivered a keynote speech on new professions and their associated challenges in the era of digital economy.

 

From 2019 to 2021, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security defined a total of 54 new professions under four categories. The 2022 edition of the book of job classifications added 168 new professions and for the first time labeled 97 as digital occupations. However, Prof. Li believed that these listings cannot capture all job types that have freshly appeared. He also summed up the characteristics of new jobs in the digital economy era: they focus on providing professional services in a wide range of niche areas, are highly diverse due to meticulous divisions of work, and are mostly done by young people who tend to work for themselves.

 

Conventionally, social progress and economic development are accompanied by a stabilizing employment relationship buttressed by sound social security and public services, yet this one-way transition might not be taking place in the digital economy, said Prof. Li. By analyzing how economic ecosystem is impacted by a number of underlying factors, he found that the relationship between labor demand and supply might be superseded by that between the supply of skills and demand of tasks. This is bound to have profound influence on the entire job market, he said.

 

Evolution of the economic ecosystem is requiring a rethink of public policy, for which the challenges are three-fold, said Prof. Li. The first one is about how to balance high-quality employment with inclusive employment. The former, typified by high salary, good benefits and stability in job, would naturally exclude many job seekers. Prof. Li believed that under current economic situations, inclusive employment should be accorded more importance. The second challenge concerns current job-promoting policy which targets companies but leaves out people who are in flexible employment and do not register their own firms. Should they be counted as employed or jobless? The answer to the question will greatly sway statistical work and policy direction. As for the third challenge, Prof. Li drew attention to the existing social security system which is paid into by both employers and individuals. However, the latter, now without a fixed employer, might find it unmotivating to contribute. In addition, Prof. Li pointed out that occupational trainings and public services should be reformed and adjusted.

Prof. Li Lixing: Digital Economy Generates New Jobs and Fresh Challenges

May 11-2023   



In the recent NSD Policy Talk, Prof. Li Lixing delivered a keynote speech on new professions and their associated challenges in the era of digital economy.

 

From 2019 to 2021, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security defined a total of 54 new professions under four categories. The 2022 edition of the book of job classifications added 168 new professions and for the first time labeled 97 as digital occupations. However, Prof. Li believed that these listings cannot capture all job types that have freshly appeared. He also summed up the characteristics of new jobs in the digital economy era: they focus on providing professional services in a wide range of niche areas, are highly diverse due to meticulous divisions of work, and are mostly done by young people who tend to work for themselves.

 

Conventionally, social progress and economic development are accompanied by a stabilizing employment relationship buttressed by sound social security and public services, yet this one-way transition might not be taking place in the digital economy, said Prof. Li. By analyzing how economic ecosystem is impacted by a number of underlying factors, he found that the relationship between labor demand and supply might be superseded by that between the supply of skills and demand of tasks. This is bound to have profound influence on the entire job market, he said.

 

Evolution of the economic ecosystem is requiring a rethink of public policy, for which the challenges are three-fold, said Prof. Li. The first one is about how to balance high-quality employment with inclusive employment. The former, typified by high salary, good benefits and stability in job, would naturally exclude many job seekers. Prof. Li believed that under current economic situations, inclusive employment should be accorded more importance. The second challenge concerns current job-promoting policy which targets companies but leaves out people who are in flexible employment and do not register their own firms. Should they be counted as employed or jobless? The answer to the question will greatly sway statistical work and policy direction. As for the third challenge, Prof. Li drew attention to the existing social security system which is paid into by both employers and individuals. However, the latter, now without a fixed employer, might find it unmotivating to contribute. In addition, Prof. Li pointed out that occupational trainings and public services should be reformed and adjusted.