Publications: Robert D. Atkinson

History suggests the labor market will weather this technological storm, just as it has weathered many others before it.

Governments must treat productivity growth as a deliberate pursuit, not a happy accident. A global effort to identify, study, and replicate best-in-class practices would move us closer to that goal.

With capital-lite corporate strategies shaped by Wall Street’s demand for high returns on assets and invested capital, U.S. firms invest relatively little in robotics. Meanwhile, China’s capital-heavy model fuels rapid productivity gains.

Americans have forgotten that prosperity depends on valuing productivity, grounding ideals in realism, striving for progress, and maintaining the optimism and adventurous spirit to embrace change.

If Senator Sanders wants to raise wages, he should focus on the real cause of slow growth, lagging productivity from low capital investment, instead of stymieing AI.

Trump's de facto ban on H-1B visas won't protect American workers, but it will likely result in fewer U.S. jobs and weaker U.S. companies. In Washington Monthly, Robert Atkinson argues that there are better ways to smooth this pathway for America to attract talented workers from around the world.

Although the seven values of the American Business Creed were widely accepted in the 1950s, two have eroded over time, driven largely by changes in business itself.

Unless we can restore the growth imperative in the West, we can—no surprise—expect slower, or in the case of some countries like Canada and the UK, negative per-capita income growth.

If the president is worried some organizations abuse the H-1B program and hire skilled foreign workers instead of Americans, then instead of trying to impose a fee on visa petitions a better solution would be for Congress to allow USCIS to auction off the 85,000 visa slots to the highest bidders.

Claims that AI-driven job destruction is inevitable could not be further from the truth. AI will boost U.S. productivity and spread new income across the economy.