Our contribution takes the point of departure in the expected impact of the Coronavirus on the future of work and employment. We explore the future of work through two different long waves theories stating that human socio-technical systems can be understood through long range cyclical renewal processes. While Kondratieff’s wave theory addresses the long-term transformation of socio-economic systems, the approach of Malaska provides a socio-evolutionary theory of social change. Both streams of work leave open the transformation of work and evolution of skills. We conclude that, given the implications of the Corona pandemic for the nature of work and employment, there is an even greater need to focus on human skills and capabilities that make us better as human beings.