or years, we’ve talked about the future of work like it was an innovation problem: AI, remote jobs, skills gaps. But in 2025, it’s clear that those were just symptoms.
The real crisis? Avoidance.
Across the world, economies are shifting faster than our systems—or our leaders—are willing to confront. The jobs of the past aren’t coming back. The jobs of the future are still taking shape. And instead of helping people get from here to there, many leaders are promising stability that no longer exists.
Economic protectionism and nostalgia are tactics for avoiding hard decisions—mostly because they are politically safe. But they don’t prepare people. They don’t build trust. They simply delay the reckoning. These tactics may buy time for the leaders, but it’s at the expense of millions who are left in limbo. The society is left uncertain how to adapt, unsupported in the process, and increasingly distrustful of the institutions meant to lead them through.
That kind of uncertainty doesn’t stay quiet forever.
But this isn’t just a crisis. It is also an opening.
The future of work doesn’t require all the answers right now. We need leadership with the courage to say: we may not know exactly what’s coming, but we will not leave you behind. It requires economic strategies that build support for transitions, not just rewarding success. And it requires redefining safety: not as preserving what was, but as protecting people while they move forward.
It’s time to shift our priorities—not just from degrees to skills, but from legacy systems to flexible support. Not just from GDP growth to short–term wins, but toward building human resilience in the face of change. This isn’t just about the workforce. It’s about social cohesion, trust in leadership, and national stability.
The real future of work question isn’t about what jobs will exist. Instead, it asks: How do we help people live with dignity while the world constantly changes around them?
Because the future of work isn’t just about jobs—it’s about how we lead people through uncertainty.
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The real crisis isn't AI or jobs, it's avoidance
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash
May 26, 2025
The future of work isn’t an innovation problem to solve, it’s an avoidance problem. Economies are evolving faster than our systems and leaders can confront, but avoiding hard decisions through protectionism and nostalgia will only delay a reckoning, writes Lisa Christen.
F
or years, we’ve talked about the future of work like it was an innovation problem: AI, remote jobs, skills gaps. But in 2025, it’s clear that those were just symptoms.
The real crisis? Avoidance.
Across the world, economies are shifting faster than our systems—or our leaders—are willing to confront. The jobs of the past aren’t coming back. The jobs of the future are still taking shape. And instead of helping people get from here to there, many leaders are promising stability that no longer exists.
Economic protectionism and nostalgia are tactics for avoiding hard decisions—mostly because they are politically safe. But they don’t prepare people. They don’t build trust. They simply delay the reckoning. These tactics may buy time for the leaders, but it’s at the expense of millions who are left in limbo. The society is left uncertain how to adapt, unsupported in the process, and increasingly distrustful of the institutions meant to lead them through.
That kind of uncertainty doesn’t stay quiet forever.
But this isn’t just a crisis. It is also an opening.
The future of work doesn’t require all the answers right now. We need leadership with the courage to say: we may not know exactly what’s coming, but we will not leave you behind. It requires economic strategies that build support for transitions, not just rewarding success. And it requires redefining safety: not as preserving what was, but as protecting people while they move forward.
It’s time to shift our priorities—not just from degrees to skills, but from legacy systems to flexible support. Not just from GDP growth to short–term wins, but toward building human resilience in the face of change. This isn’t just about the workforce. It’s about social cohesion, trust in leadership, and national stability.
The real future of work question isn’t about what jobs will exist. Instead, it asks: How do we help people live with dignity while the world constantly changes around them?
Because the future of work isn’t just about jobs—it’s about how we lead people through uncertainty.
