text: **5 Major context developments and their influence on**
  
  **working conditions**
  
  In many cases, one can find**overwhelming evidence about ‘structural’ trends and developments**
  that influence OSH at workplaces. For example, looking at the data there can be no doubt that the EU 
  population and workforce is ageing, there can be no doubt about the decline of workforce in certain 
  sectors and growth in others, there can be no doubt that education is longer, skills are higher and work 
  life starts later. 
  
  Still, in many cases the**available data lack a sufficient level of reliability**, the data from different 
  sources are contradictory or ambiguous, and the hypotheses about the reasons for findings differ. 
  Consequently, the influence is either not clear or definitely ambiguous in its impact on OSH, as often 
  holds in the case of new technologies. For reasons of readability and size of this report, we exclude a 
  detailed description of some context factors, for example, the development of industrial relations, labour 
  law and social security legislation, or public health policies**.**
  
  The chapter focuses on**four major context factors: changes from industrial to service sectors,**
  **technological developments, workforce structure and the impact of globalisation**. 