Re:Robots are not very good at picking strawberries yet
by maxerickson on Wednesday March 21, 2018 @10:12AM
(#16638110)
Right, but my argument isn't that things are all gravy for people working low paying jobs, it is just to point out that many many jobs have been added.
It's fairly clear that more jobs would be better for the US work force; it's less clear whether automation is the main thing driving the reduction in job "quality" and labor force participation.
The employment ratio of population has steadily dropped. Economists call it the 'labor participation rate', and it has declined quite markedly since ~2000 or so:
http://www.alhambrapartners.com/2018/01/05/the-reluctant-lab...
See the 'Two Labor Stories' chart.
"The lack of labor force growth going on nearly a decade now means that in every likelihood there remains a deep pool of American labor from among which Americans would work if there was any (at the margins) to be hired at a decent rate."
Long history: https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS11300000
LPR initially went up as women joined the workforce; it peaked around 1997.