Frank Levy

Frank Levy, professor of urban economics at MIT, will co-author a book with Richard Murnane that will attempt to forecast the impact of computerization on jobs and earnings inequality in the near future. Rather than simply assuming that computers will replace the less-educated, the authors will map out those areas of work that are susceptible to computerization and those jobs that will require human skills for the foreseeable future. The book will then move on to a series of case studies of the impact of computers in specific occupations and businesses, including auto sales and repair, stockbroking, health care, and banking. The case studies show how computers change the content of work and influence the demand for labor. The book will also discuss the role of education and training in preparing people with the skills they need in a computerized world– which is not the same as simply preparing people to use computers.