THE ACCELERATION OF DIGITALIZATION AND COVID‑19: A RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW AND IMPACT ON THE CREATION OF NEW JOBS

Introduction. The coronavirus has accelerated the digital transformation of the economy, opening up new opportunities for economic development and the creation of new jobs. There is a need to investigate the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitization and its mutual impact on the creation of new jobs, as well as the formation of proposals that are relevant for modern management from the perspective of government agencies and managers in various sectors of the economy. Purpose. The aim of the article is to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the acceleration of digitization and the creation of new jobs. Materials and methods. The materials of the study include: 1) works by Ukrainian and foreign authors conducting their scientific and practical research in the field of the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, its impact on the workforce, as well as in the field of digitization; 2) statistical databases on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on GDP and other indicators. The following scientific methods were used during the research: theoretical generalization and grouping (to determine the changes caused by the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic and digitalization, as well as to identify the objects that are most vulnerable to the impact of various pandemics); formalization, analysis, and synthesis (to compare the growth of GDP, levels of digitalization, and unemployment in individual countries); logical generalization of the results (formulation of conclusions). Results. The article provides a retrospective analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on GDP growth. It shows its decrease in many countries except for China. It is determined that countries with a higher level of digitalization have a higher GDP level compared to countries with a lower level of digitalization. However, certain factors such as economic policy, market structure characteristics, geopolitical location of the country, etc. may have an impact, as a result of which countries with a low GDP level will have a high level of digitalization, and vice versa. The presence of a relationship between digitalization and the level of unemployment is substantiated. It is found that countries with a higher level of digitalization have a lower level of unemployment compared to countries with a lower level of digitalization. The most vulnerable objects to the impact of various pandemics are summarized: airlines, hotel and restaurant business, small business, low-income countries. Examples of companies that created new jobs during the pandemic are shown. The changes that became noticeable after the start of the pandemic and were relevant at the beginning of 2023 are systematized. The following changes have been identified: increased use of online services, growth of e-commerce, expanded use of artificial intelligence, increased cybersecurity, and use of augmented and virtual reality. Measures have been proposed that will help create new jobs in the context of the accelerated digitization process and the aftermath of COVID-19. The main measures recognized are: supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in their digital transition; developing e-commerce, supporting the development of the IT sector, promoting the acquisition of digital skills by workers and their improvement in line with the current development of digital technologies. Discussion. In further scientific research, it is proposed to develop a concept of cooperation between governments and businesses to develop skilled jobs and training programs that meet the needs of the digital economy, in order to ensure sustainable development of the national economy and reduce inequality in access to employment.