��������������������������������������������������������������������ThispassageisadaptedfromDavidRotman,“HowTechnologyIsDestroyingJobs.”©2013byMITTechnologyReview.MITbusinessscholarsErikBrynjolfssonandAndrewMcAfeehavearguedthatimpressiveadvancesincomputertechnology—fromimprovedindustrialroboticstoautomatedtranslationservices—arelargelybehindthesluggishemploymentgrowthofthelast10to15years.Evenmoreominousforworkers,theyforeseedismalprospectsformanytypesofjobsasthesepowerfulnewtechnologiesareincreasinglyadoptednotonlyinmanufacturing,clerical,andretailworkbutinprofessionssuchaslaw,financialservices,education,andmedicine.Thatrobots,automation,andsoftwarecanreplacepeoplemightseemobvioustoanyonewho’sworkedinautomotivemanufacturingorasatravelagent.ButBrynjolfssonandMcAfee’sclaimismoretroublingandcontroversial.Theybelievethatrapidtechnologicalchangehasbeendestroyingjobsfasterthanitiscreatingthem,contributingtothestagnationofmedianincomeandthegrowthofinequalityintheUnitedStates.And,theysuspect,somethingsimilarishappeninginothertechnologicallyadvancedcountries.Asevidence,BrynjolfssonandMcAfeepointtoachartthatonlyaneconomistcouldlove.Ineconomics,productivity—theamountofeconomicvaluecreatedforagivenunitofinput,suchasanhouroflabor—isacrucialindicatorofgrowthandwealthcreation.Itisameasureofprogress.OnthechartBrynjolfssonlikestoshow,separatelinesrepresentproductivityandtotalemploymentintheUnitedStates.ForyearsafterWorldWarII,thetwolinescloselytrackedeachother,withincreasesinjobscorrespondingtoincreasesinproductivity.Thepatternisclear:asbusinessesgeneratedmorevaluefromtheirworkers,thecountryasawholebecamericher,whichfueledmoreeconomicactivityandcreatedevenmorejobs.Then,beginningin2000,thelinesdiverge;productivitycontinuestoriserobustly,butemploymentsuddenlywilts.By2011,asignificantgapappearsbetweenthetwolines,showingeconomicgrowthwithnoparallelincreaseinjobcreation.BrynjolfssonandMcAfeecallitthe“greatde...
