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The point isn't that it's been going on for a long time but the speed with which it is happening today. Furthermore, I don't think most people understand how l

The point isn't that it's been going on for a long time but the speed with which it is happening today. Furthermore, I don't think most people understand how little the tech sector is. Even in the Bay Area, it's only around 15-20% who actually work in tech. Most people aren't able to just relearn and adopt.

ian0 9y ago
I think this is where social safety nets (or the lack of them) come into play. The market can be short sighted when it comes to training and typically focus on younger generations where they do (large orgs sponsoring university courses etc). A good adult education scheme in conjunction with social welfare to allow people to make use of it makes a world of difference when it comes to re-tooling older people once jobs are automated. Not to find jobs at google but at the legion of smaller traditional enterprises that now have technology components due to automation.
- ThomPete 9y ago
  I don't disagree but how are you going to pay for social welfare if no one is making money? So what do you tax? do you do something else? These are the questions that are really relevant to figure out IMO.
  - tmnvix 9y ago
    > how are you going to pay for social welfare if no one is making money? So what do you tax? You stop taxing income and start taxing wealth. A land tax would be a good start. Resource taxes are another.
  - intended 9y ago
    You take a loan. And people are making money - the GDP is growing overall, therefore there is far more productivity and value add happening in the system at large. Americans have the potential of a good social safety net already (compared to many worse countries), its more a question of detail orientation and unpalatable politics - from the perspective of an outsider.
sien 9y ago
If it's happening so fast why is US unemployment low and productivity growth low?
- ThomPete 9y ago
  95% of the jobs created since 2008 are temp jobs not actually jobs you can live of. A job is not just a job.
galfarragem 9y ago
'Most people aren't able to just relearn and adopt.' Pivoting, or better, adjusting my career to fit in a more plentyful market has been being the most difficult process I ever experienced in my life - despite enjoying to learn and still being a millennial.
- ThomPete 9y ago
  Agree and the fact that you are make you part of a very small group of people who can. The majority of people can't.

ian0 9y ago

I think this is where social safety nets (or the lack of them) come into play. The market can be short sighted when it comes to training and typically focus on younger generations where they do (large orgs sponsoring university courses etc). A good adult education scheme in conjunction with social welfare to allow people to make use of it makes a world of difference when it comes to re-tooling older people once jobs are automated. Not to find jobs at google but at the legion of smaller traditional enterprises that now have technology components due to automation.

ThomPete 9y ago
I don't disagree but how are you going to pay for social welfare if no one is making money? So what do you tax? do you do something else? These are the questions that are really relevant to figure out IMO.
- tmnvix 9y ago
  > how are you going to pay for social welfare if no one is making money? So what do you tax? You stop taxing income and start taxing wealth. A land tax would be a good start. Resource taxes are another.
- intended 9y ago
  You take a loan. And people are making money - the GDP is growing overall, therefore there is far more productivity and value add happening in the system at large. Americans have the potential of a good social safety net already (compared to many worse countries), its more a question of detail orientation and unpalatable politics - from the perspective of an outsider.

sien 9y ago

If it's happening so fast why is US unemployment low and productivity growth low?

ThomPete 9y ago
95% of the jobs created since 2008 are temp jobs not actually jobs you can live of. A job is not just a job.

galfarragem 9y ago

'Most people aren't able to just relearn and adopt.' Pivoting, or better, adjusting my career to fit in a more plentyful market has been being the most difficult process I ever experienced in my life - despite enjoying to learn and still being a millennial.

ThomPete 9y ago
Agree and the fact that you are make you part of a very small group of people who can. The majority of people can't.