Can public policy keep up with the future of work?

For a long time, the state set the framework for working life through labour laws, pensions, education, training and social protection. Yet as technological and societal change accelerates, labour shortages persist and talent moves across borders with increasing ease, the conditions of work are changing faster than the institutions and policy tools designed to govern them.

In Brussels, the government has set a target of reaching a 70 per cent employment rate by 2030. But what does such a figure really measure? Is it an adequate response to the challenges ahead, or does it reveal a deeper question about the purpose of work in contemporary society?

Philosopher Pascal Chabot and Brussels Minister for Employment Laurent Hublet will explore how work shapes individual lives and collective meaning, while examining the choices and trade-offs involved in economic and social policy. Moderated by Salma Haouach, the conversation will examine what role governments can still play in shaping not only how we work, but why work matters at all.