To work is human, yet the world of work is changing fast, and in unexpected ways.

With rapid advances in information technology, huge swathes of the job market - from cleaners and drivers to journalists and doctors - are being automated: a staggering 47% of American employment is at risk of automation within the next two to three decades. At the same time, millions more jobs are being created. What does the future of work hold? In this illuminating new investigation of what this means for us, Ryan Avent lays bare the contradictions in today's global labour market.

From Volvo's operations in Sweden to the vast 'Factory Asia' hub in China, he offers the first clear explanation of the state we're in-and how we could get out of it.