Editor’s note: This essay is part of a series being published to help commemorate the Monthly Labor Review’s centennial (July 1915–July 2015). The essays―written by eminent authorities and distinguished experts in a broad range of fields―cover a variety of topics pertinent to the Review and the work of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each essay is unique and comprises the words and opinion of the author. We’ve found these essays to be enlightening and inspirational. We hope you do as well. We’re entering a new era. For much of the past century, the 9-to-5 job has defined what most Americans think of as “work.” But that is changing—fast. More than 53 million Americans are now earning income from work that’s not a traditional 9-to-5. That’s 1 in 3 workers. We are still at the leading edge of a once-in-a-century upheaval in our workforce. The freelance surge is the Industrial Revolution of our time. The surge in freelancing is more than two decades old at this point. When I founded Freelancers Union in 1995, the term “freelancer” was still new and not well understood. Whether by choice or by circumstance, millions of workers in the intervening years have started working gig to gig, project to project.

forrester.com (03.04.2017) Forrester released an update to its Future Of Jobs research, which predicts how robots, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the workforce over the next 10 years. While automation and related technologies will inevitably displace some of the workforce, Forrester argues that the technology will transform the workforce by adding new jobs or changing existing jobs, rather than completely displacing workers.

Global Credit Research - 17 May 2017 New York, May 17, 2017 -- The accelerating adoption of robotics in manufacturing in some of the worlds' more advanced economies could pose challenges to emerging market exporters that have benefited from their comparative advantage of lower cost, high skilled labor, says Moody's Investors Service in a report.

The US (Aaa stable), Germany (Aaa stable), Japan (A1 stable), Korea (Aa2 stable) and China (Aa3 negative) account for about 75% of spending on global industrial robotics worldwide. In these five countries, the use of robotics could even bring back some of the processes that have been offshored to lower labor cost destinations.

Nonetheless, the number of jobs lost to automation is likely to be higher than those gained by onshoring. Another impact of robotics is that it could offset labor market pressures in countries with aging populations. "In countries where aging populations are reducing the growth in labor supply, robotics could support growth by lowering the need for labor while also increasing productivity," said Samar Maziad, a Senior Analyst and Vice President at Moody's.

Robotics technology is most commonly used in the highly globalized automotive and electronics industries, and the five main nations that are adopting it are also key trade nodes in their respective regions. This implies that while the adoption of robotics is currently concentrated in only a few countries, it will have implications beyond their borders. In particular, the countries that are linked to them through trade and manufacturing supply chains will be impacted.

These include emerging markets economies, such as Czech Republic (A1 stable), Hungary (Baa3 stable), and Slovenia (Baa3 positive) in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as Malaysia (A3 stable) and Thailand (Baa1 stable) in Asia. These nations are deeply integrated into high technology production chains and export markets due to their comparative advantage of high-skilled, lower cost labor forces. As automation becomes more efficient and cost effective, it could negate the labor cost advantage of some of these emerging markets.

Global Credit Research (17.05.2017)  The accelerating adoption of robotics in manufacturing in some of the worlds' more advanced economies could pose challenges to emerging market exporters that have benefited from their comparative advantage of lower cost, high skilled labor, says Moody's Investors Service in a report.

As artificial intelligence takes hold, what will it take to be an effective executive? In a 1967 McKinsey Quarterly article, “The manager and the moron,” Peter Drucker noted that “the computer makes no decisions; it only carries out orders. It’s a total moron, and therein lies its strength. It forces us to think, to set the criteria. The stupider the tool, the brighter the master has to be—and this is the dumbest tool we have ever had.”1

New forms of non-standard work in the online platform economy are creating a growing gap between digital innovation and decent work, which by definition includes fair wages, social protection and the right to bargain collectively. While estimates on the growth of on-demand and crowd work vary widely, a mid-term rise in labour market polarization and atypical work might arise. But it is also preventable. So, what can be done practically for online platforms to be a driver of quality jobs? 

Moderator: Sarah O’Conner, Correspondent, Financial Times

Kick-off Presentation: Valerio De Stefano, Labour Law Officer, ILO 

- Pascal Pavageau, Confederal Secretary, FO 
- Six Silberman, Project Secretary, IG Metall and Programmer, 
Turkopticon 
- Saadia Zahidi, Senior Director and Head of Gender Parity and 
Human Capital at the World Economic Forum (WEF)
- Jan Drahokoupil, Senior researcher, ETUI 
- Fredrik Söderqvist, Economist, Unionen

xataka.com (14.09.2016) Pues al final Uber logró adelantarse a todos, bueno, casi a todos si no contamos el caso de NuTonomy en Singapur, ya que hoy la compañía ha arrancado con la operación de sus primeros coches autónomos que estarán dando servicio en las calles de Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, tal y como lo prometieron hace un mes.

El Cronista (25.07.2017) La automatización y robotización ponen en jaque al 52% de los empleos en México, dice el Instituto Global McKinsey. Son 25,5 millones de puestos de trabajo los que están en riesgo por la llamada cuarta Revolución Industrial.

McKinsey Global Institute (30.06.2017) Companies new to the space can learn a great deal from early adopters who have invested billions into AI and are now beginning to reap a range of benefits. After decades of extravagant promises and frustrating disappointments, artificial intelligence (AI) is finally starting to deliver real-life benefits to early-adopting companies. Retailers on the digital frontier rely on AI-powered robots to run their warehouses—and even to automatically order stock when inventory runs low. Utilities use AI to forecast electricity demand. Automakers harness the technology in self-driving cars.

McKinsey Quarterly (25.07.2016) The technical potential for automation differs dramatically across sectors and activities. As automation technologies such as machine learning and robotics play an increasingly great role in everyday life, their potential effect on the workplace has, unsurprisingly, become a major focus of research and public concern. The discussion tends toward a Manichean guessing game: which jobs will or won’t be replaced by machines?

Infomédiaire (21.07.2017) Infomédiaire Maroc – Quelque 230 470 marocains étaient affiliés à la sécurité sociale en Espagne à fin juin dernier, en baisse par rapport au mois précédent (240 129), a indiqué hier le ministère espagnol de l’Emploi et de la sécurité sociale.

Der Spiegel (13.07.2017) Immer mehr Menschen im Rentenalter arbeiten, binnen zehn Jahren hat sich ihre Zahl verdoppelt. Woher kommt das? Wie geht es weiter? Und was muss man beachten, wenn man länger im Beruf bleibt?

Le Monde (25.07.2017) Le président américain met tout son poids dans la balance pour enjoindre les sénateurs républicains à ouvrir les débats sur l’abrogation du système de santé

El Comercio (17.07.2017) La población de América Latina y el Caribe, reconocida por su alto porcentaje de personas jóvenes, avanza hacia el envejecimiento, tendencia que se está consolidando. Así, por primera vez, en el 2040 los adultos mayores de 60 años superarán a los menores de 15.

CNBC (13.07.2017) Health care accounts for 16.6 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Despite the amount the U.S. spends on health care, its system ranks dead last in a study of 11 high-income countries. The U.S. is the only nation included in the study that does not offer universal health insurance coverage.

The Daily Star (17.07.2017) National Social Security Strategy approved by the Cabinet in 2015 points to a strong political commitment of Bangladesh to become a welfare state. The welfare state has potential to provide economic security, advance opportunities and ensure wellbeing for all and should, therefore, be of shared interest to citizens of National Social Security Strategy approved by the Cabinet in 2015 points to a strong political commitment of Bangladesh to become a welfare state. The welfare state has potential to provide economic security, advance opportunities and ensure wellbeing for all and should, therefore, be of shared interest to citizens of different walks of life.

Les Echos (06.06.2017) Le développement des nouvelles technologies, des outils communicants, les impératifs croissants de réactivité, l'aspiration des salariés à une meilleure articulation entre vie pro et perso, conduit les entreprises à repenser leur organisation physique. Un changement de fond, dont elles ont tout intérêt à tirer profit.

El País (18.07.2017) El rechazo de cuatro senadores al proyecto auspiciado por el presidente impide su aprobación parlamentaria. Trump pide un nuevo proyecto

La Libre (14.07.2017) Avec le nouveau système d’allocations familiales validé, en première lecture, jeudi, par le gouvernement wallon, pour chaque enfant né à partir du 1er janvier 2019, la famille recevra une allocation de base de 155 € jusqu’aux 18 ans de l’enfant et de 165 € de ses 18 à 24 ans.

Stern (17.07.2017) Ein staatliches Grundeinkommen könnte sämtliche Sozialleistungen ersetzen, müsste aber finanziert werden. Der Ökonom Thomas Straubhaar erklärt, wie das System funktionieren würde - und warum es in der Arbeitswelt von morgen nötig ist.

Le Temps (18.07.2017) Quatre des 52 sénateurs républicains ont voté contre la dernière mouture du Trumpcare, alors qu'au minimum 50 voix étaient requises. A la place, les sénateurs voteront pour abroger des éléments centraux de l'Obamacare

El País (17.07,2017) El Fondo defiende que se mantengan las reformas de la Seguridad Social y que la rebaja fiscal anunciada se compense con otras medidas