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Contrary to warnings about a growing unemployment problem, this essay highlights the potential for a growing scarcity of labour in Canada. Specifically, a slowing population growth rate and a declining labour force participation rate due to retiring baby boomers and an aging population will reduce labour force growth rates over the next few decades. Furthermore, historical experience suggests that technological change primarily alters the mix of employment while promoting faster economic growth, which also creates new jobs. Hence, it seems unlikely that technological change will result in a decline in the aggregate demand for labour. Indeed, rather than facing a future unemployment crisis, Canada is more likely to face a prolonged period of labour scarcity.

As part of Canada Beyond 150, our nine-person interdepartmental team looked at the changing nature of work: how automation, telepresence, aging, identity, and capital and asset formation can lead to prosperity and social inclusion. We considered the traits, tools, places, and composition of work; how we find work; how we develop skills in a digital age; the nature of firms; and the character of the social contract.

An essay contribution to "Technology, automation and employment: Will this time be different?" report. The business media is rife with warnings about automation—primarily driven by technological change, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning—leading to dramatic changes in the labour markets of developed countries (Robertson, 2019). Media reports often warn of large net job losses from a new era of automation with a corresponding need for government initiatives such as a guaranteed annual income to take care of those rendered unemployable by technological change (see Noonan, 2017). Contrary to warnings about a growing unemployment problem, this essay highlights the potential for a growing scarcity of labour in Canada. Specifically, a slowing population growth rate and a declining labour force participation rate due to retiring baby boomers and an aging population will reduce labour force growth rates over the next few decades. Furthermore, historical experience suggests that technological change primarily alters the mix of employment while promoting faster economic growth, which also creates new jobs. Hence, it seems unlikely that technological change will result in a decline in the aggregate demand for labour. Indeed, rather than facing a future unemployment crisis, Canada is more likely to face a prolonged period of labour scarcity

Technology is increasingly central to our lives in all manner of ways and is continuously opening up new possibilities. But who will most benefit from them? Some claim that tech companies and the products they develop are empowering ordinary people to take more control over their economic and social lives, enhancing their personal wellbeing and smashing up the old monopolies and economic power bases of the 20th century. But is this really the case? Without proper governance, the increasing role of technology in our lives and in our economy could change relations between people and institutions in a way that strengthens existing inequalities of power, rather than dissipating them. This paper explores the channels through which this could occur, the consequences of those changes, and some of the public policy questions that result.

Technology is increasingly central to our lives in all manner of ways and is continuously opening up new possibilities. But who will most benefit from them? Some claim that tech companies and the products they develop are empowering ordinary people to take more control over their economic and social lives, enhancing their personal wellbeing and smashing up the old monopolies and economic power bases of the 20th century. But is this really the case? Without proper governance, the increasing role of technology in our lives and in our economy could change relations between people and institutions in a way that strengthens existing inequalities of power, rather than dissipating them. This paper explores the channels through which this could occur, the consequences of those changes, and some of the public policy questions that result. This paper covers three broad and interrelated topics: 1. Automation & Industrial Transition: Changes to production processes resulting from new technology; 2. Consequences for the welfare state and fiscal policy: The effects of technological change on the need for and effectiveness of social security and redistribution; and 3. Big Data & Digitalisation: Changes to how information is captured, stored and shared that affects how people (as consumers, workers, employers, etc.) relate to one another.

This report has been prepared to inform the Collective Measures Study (CMS) being undertaken by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UK Commission). The Policy Research Institute and IPSOS MORI were commissioned as part of a wider research consortium to undertake a policy prioritisation exercise to ‘test out’ policy options and inform UK Commission decision making in terms of employer investment in skills. The CMS reflects an evidence informed approach to policy development, based on a five-stage approach to identify a strong conceptual and theoretical base, marshal the empirical evidence and identify the policy levers that have been adopted to encourage employer investment in skills in the UK and beyond. This report presents the findings of a deliberative research exercise and informs the identification of policy options to be considered for economic appraisal.

The University of Guelph was one of the first institutions to define the skills students would learn in their programs. This evolved into a list of five institutional learning outcomes that were approved in 2012. As a next step, researchers worked in collaboration with Desire2Learn (D2L), a provider of learning management systems, to align and refine course- and program-level outcomes and develop a process to assess them. A new study published by the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, Integrating Pedagogy and Technology to Measure Program and Institutional Learning Outcomes at the University of Guelph, finds that the online learning-outcomes assessment tool was able to effectively capture and assess learning outcomes at the program and institutional level.

This study is shaped by the recognition that while there has been a great deal of policy development around the transition from unemployment and inactivity to employment over the last decade, policy can still be informed about how best to nurture sustainable employment for those at risk of labour market exclusion. There remain challenges associated with, for example, the cost-effectiveness of intervention, the „low pay no pay‟ cycle and access to training. As a consequence, the opportunities for sustainable progression, upward social mobility and alleviating poverty remain unrealised for many workers in lower paid occupations. The methodology underpinning this study is predominantly based on a literature search and review of the research and evidence base post 2005. This is supplemented with the development of four international case studies (Australia, Denmark, Germany, United States contained in a separate annex) and an e-consultation with country experts.

The digital transformation of companies is underway. It impacts all of their activities, their way of producing up their relationships with subcontractors and the customer experience. The organization of work is changing, too, as a result of these new technologies. We often hear the digital actors speak about the best ways to carry out these changes. What about "traditional" companies? How Leaders at the controls they consider this transformation?  This book gives voice to business leaders to understand their perception of digitization and how they implement it. It brings together a series of interviews conducted by Christophe Deshayes from business owners of all sizes, from various fields of activity, and public and cooperative organizations.  The collection of Docs La Fabrique brings together texts that have not been developed at the request or under the control of its board of direction, but provide incentives for thought to the debate on industry issues. We hope that it will find interested readers among industrialists and policy makers and will be happy to give feedback. [googletranslate_en]