New jobs, productivity and full employment

Creating jobs is everyone's political leader new mantra. Of course, there are jobs and jobs. Most of the jobs created in recent years have been around technology, with the goal of improving productivity. By making tasks much more efficient, there are less need for workers as automation and smart machines take over, right?

In fact, creating jobs that increase productivity eventually leads to less jobs available for all. This equation is therefore below a zero-sum game, as it ends up creating more jobless individuals. By sharpening productivity we're drifting away from full employment.

At the same time, world population is exploding, from 7 billion today to some predicted 9 billion in 2046, so there will be many more people available to fill less future job openings. It would seem that any job creation in the private sector be balanced with (intelligent) job growth in the public arena, in areas like sustainable energy, education and health care and that, through resource redistribution, each gain in productivity sees more jobs created in these areas of wellness.

This of course is a far cry from what conservatives are advocating: More free enterprise and less government. To me, there has to be a growth in new energies, education and health infrastructure commensurate with gains in productivity. What do you think?