Job polarization, What do you mean ?

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The job polarization refers to the progressive disappearance of middle-class jobs relative to those at the bottom which require few skills and those at the top which are associated with greater skill levels.

 

This phenomenon is mostly linked to the technological progress, responsible for “stealing” human jobs. It is usually described as dangerous because it jeopardizes the labour market equilibrium and the social implications associated with it.

 

With machines being more and more productive and becoming able to carry out human tasks, technology seems to constitute a significant threat to the waged work. And it’s just the beginning: we are about to experience an unprecedented increasing of productivity in the coming decades.

 

However, job automation and the risk of computerization are dangers largely overestimated. Instead of perceiving robots or technology as noxious to the economy, we should strive to see them as auspicious opportunities.  

By pointing out the limits of our current paradigm, technical progress urges us to find relevant alternatives to adapt and modernize.

 

Indeed, the surplus population and the obsolescence of the social safety net are issues currently at stake that incite us to rethink and to build a new future. To this effect, several potential solutions have been brought up by different authors: they range from utopian visions with full unemployment and universal revenue to more rational ideas such as re-training unqualified workers and provide financial incentives for human employment.

 

The best days are yet to come !