City Talks: The impact of automation

 

This episode of City Talks was recorded at the launch of Cities Outlook 2018, the flagship report published annually by Centre for Cities on the economic health of British cities.

The report focuses on the impact of automation and globalisation on British cities over the next decade or so. It presents a mixed picture, finding, for example, that whilst automation and globalisation are likely to bring opportunities and boost jobs growth in all UK cities, the quality of the jobs created will vary: they are more likely to be high-skilled in the Southeast and low-skilled in the North. This may further deepen the political and economic divides across the country.

To discuss the findings contained in Cities Outlook and their implications, Andrew Carter was joined at the launch event by a diverse panel: Marvin Rees, mayor of Bristol, Gemma Tetlow, Economics Correspondent at the Financial Times and Naomi Climer, commissioner on the Future of Work independent commission and past President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

Some of the issues raised in the discussion were the fact that lifelong learning – currently a weak area for Britain – will become increasingly essential and that a Universal Basic Income may need to be introduced to help those left behind.

This episode is part of the Centre for Cities City Talks series, please rate, review and share the episode if you enjoyed it.