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Skills and Future of Work

As nations engage in a race for global advantage in innovation, ITIF champions a new policy paradigm that ensures businesses and national economies can compete successfully by spurring public and private investment in foundational areas such as research, skills, and 21st century infrastructure. Our research on skills and the future of work covers skill-building through science, technology, engineering, and math education; use of technology in primary and secondary school; higher education reform; innovations such as massive open online courses; and incumbent worker-training policies.

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Short Circuited: Electrical Engineering Degrees in the United States

Short Circuited: Electrical Engineering Degrees in the United States

Innovation in electrical engineering (EE) powers the U.S. economy, yet the share of students graduating with EE degrees has declined. This reduces EE innovation and production in the United States. Congress should act.

More Publications and Events

March 4, 2024|Blogs

Fact of the Week: A 1 Percent Increase in STEM Technicians Raises Manufacturing Firms’ Productivity by 4 Percent

A recent working paper found that manufacturing firms, a 1 percent increase in techies’ share of wages was associated with a 4 percent increase in TFP in the next year.

January 29, 2024|Podcasts

Podcast: Using Artificial Intelligence to Augment Workflow, With Nitin Mittal

Used to its full potential, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist employees, improve interactions with customers, and increase efficiency.

January 16, 2024|Blogs

Fact of the Week: Robot Adoption Among Brazilian Firms Did Not Result in Significant Job Losses

A working paper analyzed the effect that robot and tool adoption have on Brazilian workers and found that there were no statistically significant effects on employment or earnings for workers with at least a high school diploma.

December 17, 2023|Blogs

Fact of the Week: Adoption of “Industry 4.0” Technologies Increased Italian Firms’ Productivity by 3.7 Percentage Points

A November 2023 working paper found that firms that adopted Industry 4.0 technologies experienced, on average, a 3.7 percentage point increase in labor productivity.

November 14, 2023|Op-Eds & Contributed Articles

Technology Will Eliminate Some Jobs, But That’s Not the End of the Story

As Robert D. Atkinson writes in National Review, the reality is that all AI applications that increase worker productivity are in the national interest, regardless of whether they complement or replace the worker.

November 2, 2023|Blogs

Top 10 Things I Disagreed With in the US Senate AI Insight Forum on the Workforce

Contrary to pessimists’ worst fears, the job dislocation impacts from AI are likely to be very manageable—and AI-based automation will be critical to boosting workers’ wages.

November 1, 2023|Testimonies & Filings

Statement to the US Senate AI Insight Forum on “AI and the Workforce”

The United States needs to lead the world on the development and adoption of AI. If we can do that, in part through supportive policy and not restrictive regulations like the EU is introducing, U.S. workers will benefit significantly, especially if Congress makes the needed workforce and education policy changes.

September 6, 2023|Books & Edited Volumes

The Future of Work in Federal Government Requires Telework

Though not without its challenges, telework improves employee morale and aligns with worker preference, supports adaptability in service delivery, contributes to productivity, and helps recruit and retain critical talent.

September 5, 2023|Blogs

Fact of the Week: Increasing Investment in Capital and Automation Would Help, Rather Than Hurt, Manufacturing Workers

A recent study found that there is a positive relationship between investment in automation and employment, and the relationship is even stronger for industries that experience greater competition from abroad.

August 14, 2023|Blogs

Fact of the Week: AI-Enabled Automation Is Positively Associated With Changes in Occupation Employment Shares

AI-enabled automation is positively associated with changes in occupation employment shares in a sample of sixteen European countries.

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