Paul Bickley on work and the need for Government to understand how people’s values are shifting in the Church Times. 26/04/2024

IS WORK “a good thing” — a human good rather than a source of economic growth? Is it morally preferable for people to work or to do other things? As AI and similar technologies promise (or threaten) radical change in the economy, now is the time to bring these questions out of the shadows and into the open.

Arguably, something perhaps unique is happening in the UK. We do not see work as the primary driver of a good life. Indeed, 43 per cent of people in the UK say that it would be a good thing if less importance was placed on work (up from 26 per cent in 1999). We have fallen out of love with work.

Meanwhile, the Government has expressed a desire to “get Britain back to work”; achieving that goal may require more than more carrots and more sticks. We need to understand why our values in relation to work are shifting.

Read the full article here.

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