Eurofound EWCS 2024: new technologies reshaping work, not destroying jobs

Eurofound presented the overview findings from the European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS) 2024 at the European Parliament on 21 April 2026. The headline finding: new technologies including AI are reshaping work across Europe but are not destroying jobs at the scale often predicted. Job quality is improving overall, though significant differences persist across sectors, age groups, and gender.

Why this matters: The EWCS is the most authoritative pan-European dataset on working conditions, covering tens of thousands of workers across all EU member states. For remote workers, the key findings relate to telework patterns, algorithmic management, and the right to disconnect – all areas where the survey provides fresh, citable data that supersedes older estimates. The survey confirms that hybrid work is now an established practice rather than a pandemic anomaly.

The presentation, keynoted by MEP Li Andersson, covered AI’s impact on job quality, the spread of algorithmic management tools, and how telework access varies by sector, occupation, and country. Eurofound’s separate e-Survey data shows fully remote work falling from 24% to 14% between 2022 and 2024, while hybrid arrangements have remained stable at 44–45%. Workplace-only arrangements rose from 36% to 41% over the same period – suggesting the “return to office” trend is real but partial.

The full EWCS 2024 overview report is expected in the coming weeks. A companion report on “Working Anytime and Anywhere in the EU After the Pandemic” is scheduled for June 2026, examining how flexible arrangements affect working time quality and autonomy. For background on how social security interacts with cross-border telework, see our social security guide for remote workers in Europe.