As an economist work is a pleasure to have the opportunity to present a new number of a magazine as “ cahiers du Labour market ”. Communication between researchers and those we have social problems of the labour market every day is not always be smooth. Magazines such as “ Cahiers du Labour market ” allow this communication occurring between those who built new labour market analysis and design policies for every day. To academics this interaction is to know what is going to “ work ” and to obtain a vision of the problems beyond statistics or case studies. For those in public administration in their different levels is an opportunity to see the wood beyond the interest of one particular Tree or be aware of the importance of certain issues to a period of time longer than the urgent problem to be struck by the managers of labour policies. Hence, the inter-agency and interdisciplinary nature of the majority of its articles. The problems of the labour market is no single dimension and, on numerous occasions, went beyond the limits of each academic discipline (economics, sociology, etc.). Thus, this means as are essential to build a dialogue between the analyses from different disciplines that is useful for those who should design labour policies and implement them.

This number of “ cahiers du labour market ” is a good example of this dialogue between disciplines and between different types of analysts of the labour market. The dossier on labour gaps is devoted to discussing a number of gaps in the labour market, understood as dimensions of inequality. The gender gaps (since the wage increases occupational segregation) are dealt with in different articles. We also have focused analyses the gaps in migration, including rural and urban Areas, age (young and old of 55 ), persons with disabilities or ethnic origin. This variety of dimensions of inequality also shows as there is some overlap between them, giving rise to collective frank in situations of disadvantage in the labour market and how the action lines have to care for people who suffer all these problems rather than own problems. Making a medical metaphor, it is understanding the “ sick ” and not only the “ diseases ”, since only thus can design an effective treatment for those affected by different dimensions of inequality in the labour market.

In addition to the items included in the dossier on labour gaps and other contributions would stress that this number also includes contributions forecasting and labour market trends, marked by what has been called the future of employment, namely the substantive changes that are affected by the labour markets from a global point of view, such as digitalisation, automation and the need for a regulation for all new realities of employment. The dialogue between researchers and those working in the design and management of the labour market interventions is more necessary than ever to ensure that these transformations of employment do not create new dimensions of inequality and discrimination.

In short, this number of “ cahiers du labour market ” provides a great opportunity to reflect on some of the major challenges we face our labour market, both current and that lie ahead.