Development Policy Seminar: Frontier Issues:The impact of the technological revolution on labour markets and income distribution

7 July 2017

On 6 July 2017, the Development Strategy and Policy Analysis Unit of DPAD organized a seminar on “Frontier Issues: The impact of the technological revolution on labour markets and income distribution.” It was held in preparation for a forthcoming DESA study, in collaboration with the ILO, UNDP and UN-Women.

The issues discussed were primarily focused on how recent and expected technological breakthroughs will transform the nature of work, as well as the impact of these developments on income distribution. The team noted that over the past century, technological progress has reinforced rather than reduced the need for human labour. The process has, however, often been disruptive, producing winners and losers. The team also highlighted the policy challenges, at both the domestic and international levels, in mitigating the adverse effects of new technologies.

The presentation was followed by a Q&A session. Issues that were brought up by participants include the use of policy simulation to differentiate the impact of technology on countries at different stages of development, the need to examine the role of institutions in shaping the technology-labour market-inequality nexus, and the difficulty in automating jobs that require high human interaction.