Great article. What do you think about the notion that the Australian government is *already* offsetting the displacement of PMC jobs with public sector employment?
Particularly with the NDIS, public sector (and publicly funded private sector) job growth has skyrocketed.
This is partly about creating employment following decades of high immigration - but I wonder if it’s also, already, the state’s way of dealing with significant employment displacement.
Hi NOC - thanks for your kind feedback. I actually wondered (pre-DOGE) whether governments would try to soak up the now 'spare' labour now of little interest to the private sector. But in this case, I think the decision to ramp up public-sector employment probably has more to do with Labor governments on a state and federal level being relaxed about the size of the public service growing. But I wouldn't be surprised if governments, possibly with support from businesses, start dreaming up make-work schemes in the future.
Yes, a certain section of the PMC has been very into movements over the last decade, albeit typically short-lived and unfeasibly utopian ones, but the 'normies' have remained passive. It will be interesting to see how they react once they feel their livelihoods and 'comfortable' lifestyles are under threat.
It is my understanding that PMC tend to hold make-work bullshit jobs already - AI or not, those can always be provided.
Great article. What do you think about the notion that the Australian government is *already* offsetting the displacement of PMC jobs with public sector employment?
Particularly with the NDIS, public sector (and publicly funded private sector) job growth has skyrocketed.
This is partly about creating employment following decades of high immigration - but I wonder if it’s also, already, the state’s way of dealing with significant employment displacement.
https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2024/09/government-jobs-are-fuelling-australias-productivity-decline/
Hi NOC - thanks for your kind feedback. I actually wondered (pre-DOGE) whether governments would try to soak up the now 'spare' labour now of little interest to the private sector. But in this case, I think the decision to ramp up public-sector employment probably has more to do with Labor governments on a state and federal level being relaxed about the size of the public service growing. But I wouldn't be surprised if governments, possibly with support from businesses, start dreaming up make-work schemes in the future.
I wonder if anyone does 'movements' anymore. But the more I read, the more the rage gathers. You might like this little beauty that I read https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/17/how-to-make-a-splash-in-ai-economics-fake-your-data/ but then preferred to watch https://youtu.be/Y47jBvAN4DY?si=fQsFIFs11lTftnMb
Yes, a certain section of the PMC has been very into movements over the last decade, albeit typically short-lived and unfeasibly utopian ones, but the 'normies' have remained passive. It will be interesting to see how they react once they feel their livelihoods and 'comfortable' lifestyles are under threat.