Shall Automation Create Artificial Jobs?

In the following pages, we review the current research on automation's effect on the labor market and consider incentives for Left-wing governments to create artificial employment as a politico-economic response to job displacement. We derive our notion of artificial employment from Graeber's concept of 'bullshit jobs' with one important difference—artificial employment generates a sense of purpose and meaning by resonating with a grand political-ideological narrative. We propose reasons for Left-wing governments to support creation of artificial jobs for twin purposes of addressing labor market implications of automation and stemming political disengagement of traditionally left-wing electorates.