Source: Robertreich
Reich connects job displacement to wage stagnation through a mechanism that goes beyond simple job loss. As AI eliminates roles, surviving workers face fewer alternative employers, collapsing their ability to negotiate. This creates a dual squeeze on labor: fewer positions available and reduced competitive pressure on employers to retain talent through higher pay. Workers with declining real wages and shrinking job mobility will pull back on discretionary spending, remaking demand patterns across retail, travel, and services industries.