A Tax on Robots Is a Tax on Jobs

Fearmongers say robots are coming to destroy our jobs, and the solution is to slow them down with taxes. But as David Beier and Rob Atkinson write for InsideSources, that’s wrong on both counts. First, automating jobs is really hard; it usually takes a long time; and as some jobs are reduced others automatically emerge. Second, slowing this progress with a tax would slow productivity growth, which countries need to grow their economies. Policymakers should focus instead on better aligning workers’ skills with the direction the of economy so they can secure, sustain, and grow the jobs of the future.