This open-access book offers a comparative analysis of changes in employment structures on a global scale, focusing on employment trends during the first decades of the 21st century across 17 developed and developing economies, including countries from Europe, North America, Central and Latin America, and Asia. The authors examine patterns of occupational change in all cases, with job upgrading and polarization being the most prevalent, and explore the factors driving these changes, such as technological change, the increased participation of women, the growth of service-oriented sectors, and others. Particular attention is given to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment.

By applying consistent methods across all countries, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of employment dynamics and trends worldwide, representing one of the most significant efforts to produce comparative evidence on a global scale to date. As such, it will be of interest to researchers and policymakers focused on labor, inequality, and economic development.

Sergio Torrejón Pérez is an economic and policy analyst at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Spain.

Enrique Fernández-Macías is a researcher at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Spain.

John Hurley is a senior research manager at EUROFOUND in Dublin, Ireland.