Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Future of work shows promise but also inequality

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Mar, 2022 01:51 PM
  • Future of work shows promise but also inequality

VANCOUVER - Some economists say a rise in automation that was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic is a healthy part of the evolution of technology, while Statistics Canada warns of rising inequality.

Giovanni Gallipoli, a professor at the University of B.C., says advancements in technology are a natural part of an economy's growth that shouldn't be feared.

While they can mean job losses in the short term, they typically result in overall increases in wealth and new jobs in the longer term, he said.

"Technological evolution ... results in wealth improvement for the vast majority of people. And even for those who lose, in the long term there is an ability to convert to new occupations, to new jobs, to perform new tasks," Gallipoli said.

But in a two-year report on COVID-19, Statistics Canada warns the longer-lasting impacts of the pandemic on work are likely to increase inequality.

It identifies resistance to automation as one of three measures of job stability. The others are having permanent work and a job that can recover quickly from the pandemic.

High earners with more education are significantly more likely to hold protected jobs than low-income and less educated people, the figures show.

Couples in the top 10 per cent of earnings distribution were 20 times more likely to have protected jobs than those in the bottom 10 per cent. And couples with post-secondary degrees were seven per cent more likely to hold them than couples without those credentials, the report says.

At the same time, employment in sectors like technical and scientific services with high levels of job flexibility and telework capacity grew, while employment sank in lower-paying jobs involving high contact with the public like hospitality.

Joel Bilt, an economist at the University of Waterloo, said efforts to slow innovation can put the economy at a competitive disadvantage.

However, he said there are ways to minimize the damage. They range from stronger tax policies to social programs and retraining opportunities for those whose jobs are vulnerable, Bilt said.

"The churn in jobs and the number of times people are going to have to reinvent themselves and change careers is probably going to be rising as we get more disruptive technologies, so we need to be able to retrain people quickly, efficiently," he said.

As new technologies generate wealth, the question is how to ensure everyone benefits, not just a few, he said.

"At a high level, the answer is we need to double down on social programs and the social safety net needs to be adequate."

The BC Federation of Labour, which represents more than half a million workers in B.C., recommends governments ensure there are no barriers to unionization in the changing labour market.

It recommends increasing workers' protections fromand control over technological changes in the workplace and supporting them with educational opportunities, affordable housing and other public services.

In a September 2020 report, the union said 60 per cent of the province's labour force faces either high or medium likelihood of having their job impacted by automation in the next 20 years, adding that the technology threatens to increase precarious employment.

It also predicted rising inequality, with more newly created jobs excluded from existing unions’ contractual jurisdictions, while education and retraining expenses can be prohibitive for many.

"The capacities and potential of modern automation represent a fundamental restructuring of the labour environment unlike any before it, and we must determine whom this restructuring will serve," the report says.

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau, Polish leaders, discuss refugee crisis

Trudeau, Polish leaders, discuss refugee crisis
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Poland today meeting with Duda and Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki as an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian refugees pour into Poland every day.

Trudeau, Polish leaders, discuss refugee crisis

Charest to launch Conservative leadership bid

Charest to launch Conservative leadership bid
Winning is something Conservatives want to see after three back-to-back losses to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, whose minority of seats in the House of Commons means an election could be triggered at any point.

Charest to launch Conservative leadership bid

B.C. set to update COVID-19 situation

B.C. set to update COVID-19 situation
Dr. Bonnie Henry said last week the province was better positioned to consider removing pandemic restrictions before students begin spring break on Monday.

B.C. set to update COVID-19 situation

Urgent action needed on OD deaths: B.C. report

Urgent action needed on OD deaths: B.C. report
 The death review panel report released Wednesday by chief coroner Lisa Lapointe's office sets a deadline of May 9 for the government to create a safer supply policy in collaboration with the BC Centre for Disease Control and the BC Centre on Substance Use.

Urgent action needed on OD deaths: B.C. report

274 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

274 COVID19 cases for Wednesday
There are 405 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 58 are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, 14 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,929.

274 COVID19 cases for Wednesday

Charges laid for double murder that claimed the life of a 15 year old male

Charges laid for double murder that claimed the life of a 15 year old male
Wong was a young athlete and a promising student on the night of January 13, 2018, when he was struck by a stray bullet while riding in the back of his parents’ car. He was critically injured and died days later in hospital. Whiteside was also killed in the shooting.

Charges laid for double murder that claimed the life of a 15 year old male