New Technologies, Transformation of Labour Process, and Future of Work in the Global South: An Overview

Uma Rani (), Ravi Srivastava, Imraan Valodia and Ruth Castel-Branco
Additional contact information
Uma Rani: International Labour Office
Ravi Srivastava: Institute for Human Development
Imraan Valodia: Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), University of the Witwatersrand
Ruth Castel-Branco: Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), University of the Witwatersrand

The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, 2025, vol. 68, issue 2, No 1, 339-347

Abstract: Abstract This article provides an overview of the multifaceted impact of digital technologies on the future of work, particularly in the Global South. It highlights the potential for technological advancements to enhance productivity and create new opportunities, as well as the concerns about job displacement, rising inequality, and the proliferation of precarious work through digital labour platforms. The analysis explores the convergence of technological advancements with broader economic forces, the rise of algorithmic management and its implications for worker well-being, and the specific challenges faced by developing economies in adapting to rapid technological change. By drawing on historical parallels and examining diverse case studies, the overview advocates for a human-centred approach to technological transformation, emphasising the importance of social dialogue, worker empowerment, and equitable distribution of the benefits of progress. It concludes that a nuanced understanding of technology's interaction with existing social and economic structures is crucial for shaping a just and sustainable future of work.

Keywords: Structural transformation; Developing economies; Platform work; Digitalisation; Working conditions; Productivity; Skills; Gender (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J16 J24 J81 L16 O1 O14 O33 O4 O47 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41027-025-00569-x Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:68:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s41027-025-00569-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer.com/journal/41027

DOI: 10.1007/s41027-025-00569-x

Access Statistics for this article

The Indian Journal of Labour Economics is currently edited by Alakh Sharma

More articles in The Indian Journal of Labour Economics from Springer, The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().