LOVE this paper ( https://www.nber.org/papers/w28061 ) by @jamesfeigenbaum & Dan Gross. How does automation impact jobs?

F&G study when telephone operators were replaced by mechanical switches.

This was BIG: # of phone operators THEN > # of taxi drivers TODAY.
AT&T's network was becoming too complex for people to manage. Rising wages also made automation attractive. Very common drivers; see the S-curve

The network adjustment and job loss also brought intense media scrutiny (regret below poor terms used) and Congressional review
F&G's careful work finds optimism for the future -- new occupations rose to replace the lost jobs --

but also pain in the transition for those losing work incumbent operators, often ending up in lower paid roles
100 yrs later, AT&T is reskilling 100k+ workers ( https://hbsp.harvard.edu/product/820017-PDF-ENG) ... their program shows resourcefulness (eg new online tools) and raises Qs (eg should employees retrain on their own time?)

"How is started, how its going":
Ps @dgross03 is now on Twitter- follow him!
You can follow @william_r_kerr.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

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