TRUMPS LABOR DEPARTMENT

1/ How is the US work landscape being reconfigured according to the text?

2/ In your current opinion should current transformations of the job market be welcomed by
workers?

 Job figures :

A decline of unemployment in UK and US, it started in 2008 and it now looks like recovery. The
percentage of UK population that doesn’t work in 2019 is 3,6%.

The overall picture doesn’t seem bad, but there are some issues: the nature of jobs (number of
hours).

There is around 5% of gig economy in US + 1/10 of the UK => high growth

Calculation is different: If you work 1 or two hours a week you are considered as employed in the
US, not in France

Typical gig workers are : unskilled workers, chronically unemployed, migrants, retired people,
France major and the western world : changes : the retirement ages are rising, more 60 years
people are on the market while the population is not being renewed, women like Luca’s mother +
it’ harder for them to find a job considering their level of education than.

Geographical discrepancies:

US:

- central states: sluggish job creation

- Great plains
- North East / Rust Belt
- Sun belt / south east is picking up

In terms of job creation : the map is coherent with the previous one, the trend is continuing. The
job growth happens mostly in side cities. Contrast between urban centers and rural areas + focus
on services. In terms of job creation, the jobs are disappearing, the Chinese economic war China as
a response made it difficult for farmers to sell their products.

UK: division between north and south in terms of jo unemployment.

Automation: extent of phenomenon? A threat tp the job market?

Yes, it made qualified jobs disappear.

Job destruction outweighs job creation?

Vulnerable jobs: industrial/repetitive tasks + assistants, clerks, cashiers … + some think jobs like
doctors might also be threatened on the future => qualified job + warehousing (manutention) +
data processing for eg accountants/analysts + secretarial/communication

Automation: Opportunity for economy? for workers? should we be worried?

Impact on workers

50 to 60 percent of jobs are liable to be automated

_ Technological unemployment, are we talking about temporary or permanent displacement?
Opportunities offered for retraining? Geography of unemployment mobility.

+ more fulfilling jobs

+ need for analytical/critical jobs

+ productivity gains IF well redistributed and have the opportunity to move up (for workers), lower
buying price (for consumers), no losses, if there is an adequate public support

Logging industry in Oregon: Automation allows to deal with challenging situations, make job easier
and safer but job cuts on-the-ground staff Machine is replacing 6 or 7 workers. Nobody can
compete with technology not the old way. 40% jobs in the next decade lost.

Need to (refrastructure) the American life

In a matter of few years wiped up tons of jobs

Heavy changes to jobs linked to muscles

medical diagnosis can be made by tech

Textile industry weavers: automated looms around 1810, luddites smashed the machines

Middle class => status anxiety lack of support mechanism.

+ Recovery employment

Video Uber wins gig economy case – big implications for freelance workers: (script given)

 The plumbers should be self-employed to reduce the social security holidays etc
 He is a gig economy workers
 Fierce conditions => restrict wages
 A plumber : skilled professional, reasonable income
 Suing for emplyees he was indicated by the count
 The wages are set by the boss+ received orders + supervision + not allowed to compete with
the company after leaving it