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Narratives About Technology-Induced Job Degradation Then and Now

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Abstract

Concerns that technological progress degrades job opportunities have been expressed over much of the last two centuries by both professional economists and the general public. These concerns can be seen in narratives both in scholarly publications and in the news media. Part of the expressed concern about jobs has been about the potential for increased economic inequality. But another part of the concern has been about a perceived decline in job quality in terms of its effects on monotony vs creativity of work, individual sense of identity, power to act independently, and meaning of life. Public policy should take account of both of these concerns, inequality and job quality.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J. Shiller, 2019. "Narratives About Technology-Induced Job Degradation Then and Now," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 2168, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    • Handle: RePEc:cwl:cwldpp:2168
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    1. David H. Autor, 2019. "Work of the Past, Work of the Future," AEA Papers and Proceedings, American Economic Association, vol. 109, pages 1-32, May.
    2. Pascual Restrepo, 2019. "Automation and New Tasks: The Implications of the Task Content of Production for Labor Demand," 2019 Meeting Papers 234, Society for Economic Dynamics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Vyacheslav V. Volchik & Elena V. Maslyukova & Sophia A. Panteeva, 2022. "Evolution of the Russian innovation system: Narratives and the impact on economic growth," Journal of New Economy, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 23(4), pages 6-25, January.
    2. Tomas Casas-Klett & Jiatao Li, 2022. "Assessing the Belt and Road Initiative as a narrative: Implications for institutional change and international firm strategy," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 857-873, September.
    3. Georg Graetz, 2019. "Labor Demand in the Past, Present, and Future," European Economy - Discussion Papers 114, Directorate General Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission.
    4. Gouranga Gopal Das & Sugata Marjit, 2018. "Skill, Innovation and Wage Inequality: Can Immigrants be the Trump Card?," CESifo Working Paper Series 7082, CESifo.
    5. Graetz, Georg, 2020. "Technological change and the Swedish labor market," Working Paper Series 2020:19, IFAU - Institute for Evaluation of Labour Market and Education Policy.
    6. Vyacheslav V. Volchik & Elena V. Fursa, 2023. "Russian innovation system: Narratives and economic policy," Journal of New Economy, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 24(4), pages 22-40, January.
    7. Alonso, Cristian & Berg, Andrew & Kothari, Siddharth & Papageorgiou, Chris & Rehman, Sidra, 2022. "Will the AI revolution cause a great divergence?," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 18-37.
    8. Vyacheslav V. Volchik & Elena V. Fursa & Elena V. Maslyukova, 2021. "Public administration and development of the Russian innovation system," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 12(5), pages 32-49, November.
    9. Balatsky, E., 2021. "Institutional reforms and human capital," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 51(3), pages 103-124.
    10. Volchik, V. & Maslyukova, E. & Panteeva, S., 2023. "Russian innovation system in models and narratives," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 59(2), pages 143-166.
    11. Vyacheslav V. Volchik, 2022. "Scientific journals in the Russian innovation system," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 13(4), pages 26-37, September.
    12. Das, Gouranga Gopal & Marjit, Sugata & Kar, Mausumi, 2020. "The Impact of Immigration on Skills, Innovation and Wages: Education Matters more than where People Come from," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 557-582.
    13. Arntz, Melanie & Blesse, Sebastian & Doerrenberg, Philipp, 2022. "The end of work is near, isn't it? Survey evidence on automation angst," ZEW Discussion Papers 22-036, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    14. Vyacheslav V. Volchik & Elena V. Maslyukova & Sophia A. Panteeva, 2022. "Innovation indicators in the context of narrative economics," Journal of New Economy, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 22(4), pages 24-44, January.
    15. Francesco Carbonero & Jeremy Davies & Ekkehard Ernst & Sayantan Ghosal & Leaza McSorley, 2021. "Anxiety, Expectations Stabilization and Intertemporal Markets: Theory, Evidence and Policy," Working Papers 2021_12, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor-saving machines; Artificial intelligence; History of thought; Division of labor; Unemployment; Automation; Robotics;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N3 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy
    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General
    • B0 - Schools of Economic Thought and Methodology - - General
    • E2 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment

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