Automation is set to worsen the North-South divide

Andrew Carter argues in Prospect magazine that automation will hit the North and Midlands the hardest, and explains that if we don't act now, England's economy will become even more uneven

Press release published on 21 February 2018 by Andrew Carter

In November last year, the Chancellor Phil Hammond was the subject of much derision when he claimed that “there are no unemployed people in Britain.” That gaffe meant that nobody paid any attention to his preceding comments—a shame, as they were perceptive on the big changes set to revolutionise jobs in Britain over coming decades.

Hammond spoke of the need to embrace automation and technology, noting that twenty years ago there was great concern about the future of short-hand typists and similar occupations, but that these jobs have been largely offset by the rise of new roles.

Read more in Prospect Magazine.