The economies of Southeast Asia tend to be more labour-abundant and less capital-intensive than OECD economies. They have higher rates of population growth and a smaller tertiary-educated labour force. Agricultural and informal service-sector employment are more prevalent while value added in industrial manufacturing is smaller. Given such economic characteristics, how will Southeast Asia be affected by labour-replacing technological change? What if routine tasks can increasingly be carried out with minimal human labour input? What if robots in high-income countries start to compete with cheap labour? In this LSE SEAC lunchtime seminar, we will analyse current trends, forecasts, and theories of labour automation with regard to Southeast Asia and will discuss a respective future research agenda.
Lunch will be served from 12:00pm.
The seminar will run from 12:30 - 2:00pm.
Lukas Schlogl is a Research Associate with the ESRC Global Poverty & Inequality Dynamics Research Network at the Department of International Development, King’s College London. He is also a former SEAC Visiting Appointment.
Jürgen Haacke is Director of the Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre, within the Institute of Global Affairs, and Associate Professor of International Relations.
The Saw Swee Hock Southeast Asia Centre (SEAC) is a cross-disciplinary, regionally-focused academic centre within the Institute of Global Affairs at LSE.
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