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The Digitalization Boost of the Covid‐19 Pandemic and Changes in Job Quality

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  • Teresa Sophie Friedrich

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Germany)

  • Basha Vicari

    (Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Germany)

Abstract

The Covid‐19 pandemic caused a digitalization boost, mainly through the rise of telework. Even before the pandemic, advancing digital transformation restructured the way of working and thereby changed the quality of jobs—albeit at a different pace across occupations. With data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS), we examine how job quality and the use of digital technologies changed during the first pandemic year in different occupations. Building on this, we analyze change score models to investigate how increased workplace digitalization connects to changes in selected aspects of employees’ subjective job quality. We find only a weak association between the digitalization boost in different occupational fields and the overall decrease in subjective job quality. However, telework—as one aspect of digitalization—is connected to a smaller decrease in work–family reconciliation and conformable working hours. Thus, it may buffer some detrimental pandemic effects on job quality. In addition, telework is connected to increased information overload, creating a new burden for specific employee groups.

Suggested Citation

  • Teresa Sophie Friedrich & Basha Vicari, 2023. "The Digitalization Boost of the Covid‐19 Pandemic and Changes in Job Quality," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 11(4), pages 274-286.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:socinc:v11:y:2023:i:4:p:274-286
    DOI: 10.17645/si.v11i4.7082
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    1. Thomas Bolli & Filippo Pusterla, 2022. "Decomposing the effects of digitalization on workers’ job satisfaction," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 69(2), pages 263-300, June.
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