This industry division is about people, specifically the provision of people to other businesses. Whether these people undertake support activities, such as cleaning, or perform in operational roles on a temporary basis, this industry reflects the ebb and flow of the broader economy. For centuries business owners and senior staff have been hiring labour on a temporary basis. From day rates for London laborers in the 1600s, to casual employment in wharves across Europe in the 1800s. From temporary surges in staffing at call centres during the 1980s, to the pervasiveness of today’s gig economy.
While the need for administrative and support services has been ever-present, there have been changes in this industry — labour practices and technology are but two examples. This article explores what the future may look like for this industry. Viewed with the two most influential global megatrends in mind, climate change and computerisation, what follows is a futurist’s take on the trajectory of next ten years or so. It canvasses aspects of several of the industry’s subdivisions as well as the prospects for those who either work or operate a business within it.
About the global megatrend of climate change
It has been well established for a number of years that the average global temperature has been rising. The year 2000 was about…
