The economic and social restructuring that has been taking place for about three decades has significantly affected not only the nature of work, but also its role in the production process and in society as a whole. The use of new technologies and the transition of European societies towards a knowledge society have created new data and caused an expansion of economic and social inequalities among new social groups. The high-risk groups are not the same as in the past. Knowledge and skills are important defining factors, in today's era, for the poor, the unemployed, and the socially excluded. Work, at this stage, does not seem to be exploiting these technological advancements to its advantage as much as one would expect. At the same time, under the pressure of globalization and economic and demographic constraints, there is a proliferation of new forms of work and a mismatch between social needs and the provision of social protection system services. So what is the future of work? Returning to the past, to the era of wild capitalism, or moving forward? The answer is and will be purely political.