Good morning! We’re covering the possible devastating effects automation could have on Brazil’s job market. Amazon fires are down, but they have increased in other biomes. News from the Marielle Franco case. And the government’s struggles in Congress. (This newsletter is for platinum subscribers only. Become one now!)
What will automation do to Brazilian jobs?
A new study concerning the impact of automation on Brazil’s job market suggests that 58 percent of workers (almost two-thirds) are set to be replaced by machines within the next 20 years.
Automation will hit hardest for people in positions that don’t demand skills such as creativity or socioemotional relations. And in Brazil, a deindustrializing economy, that is the bulk of the labor market.
Why it matters. Brazilian politicians’ recipes for growth remain based on increasing internal consumption. The country’s low levels of education—and, therefore, productivity—place Latin America’s largest economy in a highly vulnerable position to face the next industrial revolution.
Productivity issues. Brazilian workers produce 25 percent as much as American workers, according to research organization Conference Board. The two top reasons for that are: (1) our workers are less educated and less qualified, and (2) they don’t have as much quality equipment at...