A new survey by PwC observes the shift to remote working as just the tip of the iceberg. Reflecting the fact the pandemic has accelerated a number of workforce trends, 60 percent are worried that automation is putting many jobs at risk; 48 percent believe 'traditional employment won't be around in the future and 39 percent think it is likely that their job will be obsolete within 5 years.

However, this is not a counsel of despair, as 40 percent of workers say their digital skills have been improved through the prolonged period of lockdown, and claim they'll continue to embrace training and skill development. 77 percent are 'ready to learn new skills or completely re-train' and 74 percent see training as a matter of personal responsibility. And, 80 percent are confident they can adapt to new technologies entering their workplace, with a large majority of those asked in India (69 percent) and in South Africa (66 percent) saying they are 'very' confident.

In addition, 49 percent of respondents are focused on building entrepreneurial skills with an interest in setting up their own business.

The survey also found that 50 percent of workers say they've faced discrimination at work which led to them missing out on career advancement or training. 13 percent report missing out on opportunities as a result of ethnicity and 14 percent of workers have experienced discrimination on the grounds of gender, with women twice as likely to report gender discrimination as men. 13 percent report discrimination on the basis of class, with post-graduates and others with higher qualifications more likely to report prejudice. Younger people are as likely as older people to report discrimination based on age.

On top of that, the survey found there are disparities in access to upskilling opportunities. While 46 percent of people with postgraduate degrees say their employer gives them many opportunities to improve their digital skills, just 28 percent of people with school-leaver qualifications say the same. Industries like retail or transport, which are most at risk of disruption, score just 25 percent and 20 percent respectively; while banking scores 42 percent.

Three-quarters of workers globally (75 percent) say they want to work for an organization that will make a 'positive contribution to society.' This feeling was especially acute in China (87 percent), India (90 percent), and South Africa (90 percent).

However, economic insecurity is limiting people's ability to pursue purpose-driven careers, with younger people particularly affected. Overall, 54 percent of those polled said, if forced to choose, they would prefer a job that enabled them to 'take every opportunity to maximize their income' over a job that 'makes a difference (46 percent).

Interestingly, those between 18 and 34 are more likely than other generations to prioritize income over purpose in their job with 57 percent prioritizing 'maximizing their income' over 'making a difference (43 percent), a margin of 14 points. Those over 55 prioritize making a difference by a margin of 8 points, which rises to 22 points amongst workers over 65.

The survey concludes that remote working will persist post-lockdown. Of those who can work remotely, 72 percent say they prefer a mixture of in-person and remote working, with only 9 percent stating they'd like to go back to their traditional work environment full-time. This is particularly true of professionals, office workers, business owners and the self-employed, all of whom are able to perform their jobs remotely using technology. Homeworking need not be limited to professional jobs. 43 percent of manual workers and 45 percent of semi-skilled workers say there are many elements of their job that they are able to do remotely.

People's attitudes to working from home also change by location, providing further evidence of how the pandemic has increased the global digital divide. Workers in metropolitan areas (66 percent) are more likely to work in roles that could allow remote working than those who live in rural areas (44 percent).