RESEARCH & WRITING

Research on labour markets and future of work

My research and writing focuses on labour markets, the future of work, skills and regional economic development. I analyse labour-market trends, emerging changes in work and their implications for policy, education and business, with particular interests in AI, skills demand, employment, economic inequality and regional differences. My work is currently primarily conducted through Lightcast and, previously, Centre for Cities. I also contribute to research published by organisations including Stanford University, the OECD, Cedefop and the European Network on Regional Labour Market Monitoring (ENRLMM).

SELECTED RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS AND ARTICLES

What is a Forward Deployed Engineer? The fastest growing AI job. Magrini E. (2026), Lightcast (Link). Topics: Emerging jobs, growth of Forward Deployed Engineer demand and required skills

Are workers changing their career strategy because of AI? Magrini E. (2026), Lightcast (Link) Topics: Worker-side response to AI: career mobility, progression and occupational pivots.

The AI Displacement Delusion. Magrini E. (2026), Lightcast (Link). Topic: AI exposure vs actual labour-market change; interpreting AI displacement evidence.

Beyond the Buzz: Developing the AI Skills Employers Actually Need. Magrini E. & Hatton T. (2025), Lightcast. (Link) Topics: AI skills demand, wage premiums, AI across occupations and industries.

Closing the gap between young people’s job aspirations and labour market realities. Magrini E. (2025), FE News (Link) Topics: young people labour markets, career advice and guidance, labour market opportunities.

Can Job Postings Data Track AI Demand? Magrini E. (2025), Lightcast (Link). Topic: Using online job postings to measure AI demand.

Skilled Places: Addressing Regional Inequalities Must Mean More Investment and Local Leadership in Adult Skills. Magrini E. (2022), Fabian Society (Link) Topics: adult skills, regional inequality, local economic development, lifelong learning, productivity and skills policy.

Measuring ‘levelling up’: New indexes on business and job opportunities. Magrini E. (2020), Centre for Cities (Link) Topics: Business environment and employment-opportunity indexes across UK cities and towns.

How will Coronavirus affect jobs in different parts of the country? Magrini E. (2020), Centre for Cities (Link) Topic: Self-employment, home working, remote work and geographic labour-market exposure

Trends in economic inactivity across the OECD: The importance of the local dimension and a spotlight on the United Kingdom. Barr J., Meghnagi M. & Magrini E. (2019), OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Papers (Link) Topics: Economic inactivity across OECD regions/cities; UK local labour markets.

Will working from home mean the end of cities? Magrini E. (2018), Centre for Cities (Link) Topics: Home working, technological change, agglomeration and cities.

A no-brainer? Why cities should establish skills compacts. Magrini E. (2018), Centre for Cities (Link) Topics: Local skills systems, education coordination, future-ready skills.

Can cities outsmart the robots? - The future of skills in the UK. Magrini E. & Clayton C. (2018), Centre for Cities. (Link) Topics: Automation, future labour-market skills, analytical/interpersonal skills, education and cities.

View my full body of work →

A selection of research reports, blogs and articles published across institutional platforms that reflect my research interests and writing style, and have sparked the most interest and discussion.

Elena Magrini | elena@elenamagrini.com | LinkedIn