Robots are invading the job market. Each day we see urgent headlines feverishly warning us of our automated futures. While the doomsday predictions of no employment opportunities for humans have yet to come to fruition, the automation revolution has certainly changed the American economy and labor market.
Making sure today’s workers have the skills necessary to succeed in the modern labor market should be a top priority for policymakers — and the best place to start is by ensuring public policies do not sabotage their chances. The skills needed to succeed in our modern economy are often learned by working entry-level, minimum wage jobs at an early age. But as of January this year, 18 states and nearly two dozen cities have inadvertently made long-term economic success more difficult to attain by raising the minimum wage, putting entry-level employment opportunities at risk.
Over the past several decades, changes in technology, generally, and increased automation, in particular, have drastically changed the kinds of jobs available. Between 1990 and 2014, the U.S. lost more than 6 million manufacturing jobs even though manufacturing output continued to rise. Rather than causing mass unemployment, job opportunities simply shifted industries. Over the same time period, the healthcare and social assistance sectors added nearly 9 million jobs.
Continue reading at The Hill.
Ben Wilterdink is the former Director of Programs at the Archbridge Institute. Follow him @bgwilterdink.
Economics of Flourishing
Robots are invading the job market. Each day we see urgent headlines feverishly warning us of our automated futures. While the doomsday predictions of no employment opportunities for humans have yet to come to fruition, the automation revolution has certainly changed the American economy and labor market.
Making sure today’s workers have the skills necessary to succeed in the modern labor market should be a top priority for policymakers — and the best place to start is by ensuring public policies do not sabotage their chances. The skills needed to succeed in our modern economy are often learned by working entry-level, minimum wage jobs at an early age. But as of January this year, 18 states and nearly two dozen cities have inadvertently made long-term economic success more difficult to attain by raising the minimum wage, putting entry-level employment opportunities at risk.
Over the past several decades, changes in technology, generally, and increased automation, in particular, have drastically changed the kinds of jobs available. Between 1990 and 2014, the U.S. lost more than 6 million manufacturing jobs even though manufacturing output continued to rise. Rather than causing mass unemployment, job opportunities simply shifted industries. Over the same time period, the healthcare and social assistance sectors added nearly 9 million jobs.
Continue reading at The Hill.
Ben Wilterdink
Ben Wilterdink is the former Director of Programs at the Archbridge Institute. Follow him @bgwilterdink.
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