A Guide to Sources for “The Workforce Dilemma”
By MOLLY KINDER
This sidebar is a supplement to The New Workforce Dilemma
Beyond our own study of automation, workers, and the changing workplace, Kristin Sharp and I relied on a range of articles and other experts to draw our conclusions. Here are links to our main sources, arranged by topic.
The looming recession, and its possible causes
- One of the most recent articles — both comprehensive and even-handed — was published in August, 2019, by Vox Media, entitled “Why everybody’s worried about a recession again.”
- For a more scholarly take — on the causes of recessions in general — see this story published in June, 2019, by the Congressional Research Service.
- With a hint of prescience, The New York Times reported the following in 2018: “What Will Cause the Next Recession? A Look at the 3 Most Likely Possibilities.“
Technology, automation, and jobs
- Fascinating research from Mark Muro and colleagues from the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan policy team on the rapid digitalization of jobs across the economy.
- Comprehensive research from McKinsey Global Institute on the prospective impact of automation on jobs by the year 2030.
- Analysis from the U.K. on the future of skills and employment by 2030, conducted by Pearson, Nesta and Oxford University’s Martin School.
- A yearlong report from New America and Bloomberg on the future of work in America.
- A report from the World Economic Forum on the future of jobs.
- An interesting Gallup/ Northeastern University poll of American attitudes on automation and the future of work.
- An article in Dwell magazine about Assemblage, the handmade wallpaper business that Heidi and Christian Batteau started in Witter, Arkansas.
Workforce training
- A research study with empirical analysis of trends in employer-paid training.
- Analysis from President Obama’s White House Council of Economic Advisors showing a decline in employer-provided training.
- An article on why the U.S. fails at worker training, with quotes from Anthony Carnevale, director of Georgetown University’s Center for Education and the Workforce.
- An interesting policy paper by Georgetown University professor, Harry Holzer, on how to improve the effectiveness of workforce training programs in the U.S.
- An article on the importance of lifelong learning
- More information on apprenticeship programs, like the Siemens USA example, from New America.
Employment and job trends
- Information from the Bureau of Labor statistics on average employee tenure.
- Excellent survey research from two prominent labor economists, Alan Krueger (Princeton) and Lawrence Katz (Harvard), analyzing the contingent workforce.
- An NPR/Marist poll found that 1 in 5 jobs are held by an American worker under contract.
- Analysis from Deloitte on the shrinking “half life” of skills.
- Terrific report from the Economic Innovation Group on the “retreat of dynamism” showing how Americans are less likely to start a business, move or switch jobs.
- Findings from a poll conducted by EY and the Economic Innovation Group on millennial opinions on a range of economic issues.
Education
- Survey research from the Association of American Colleges and Universities that polled employers and college students on preparedness for the workforce.
- A book called Robot-Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence by Northeastern University President Joseph E. Aoun.
- An article in Harvard Business Review on how to prepare young people for jobs in the AI economy.
- A NY Times opinion piece by Harvard behavioral economist, Sendhil Mullainathan, on preparing for upheaval and technological change.
- A TED talk from creativity expert Ken Robinson on how schools kill creativity.
Financial Insecurity
- A fascinating research project, called the Financial Diaries, which tracked the household finances of 235 low- and middle-income households over a year.
- A Federal Reserve report on the economic well-being of U.S. households.
Molly Kinder is a senior advisor on Work, Workers and Technology at New America. She is also a fellow at the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation and adjunct faculty at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
© 2023 Molly Kinder. All rights reserved. Under exclusive license to Craftsmanship, LLC. Unauthorized copying or republication of any part of this article is prohibited by law.