The rise of the digital labour market: characteristics and implications for the study of education, opportunity and work

Abstract

ABSTRACT How the labour market operates in an increasingly digital context has remained under-researched. The article explains why the digital labour market is in urgent need of study, as digitalisation transforms how labour markets are structured and shape the competition for jobs. Digital tools give job seekers new ways of describing themselves and give employers access to new sources of data on candidates, in real-time and at low cost. We identify three dimensions of digital labour markets that distinguish them from earlier ‘analogue’ models – Information, Control and Engagement (ICE). We explain how changes in these dimensions contribute to a restructuring of the recruitment process, and outline implications for theories on the education–work relationship and for the analysis of social opportunity and inequalities.