Technology is good for so many aspects of society. One of them is preservation and growth of an economy. In a new book written by MIT economists Jonathan Gruber and Simon Johnson entitled, ‘Jump-Starting America: How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream, the two make the case for the benefits of investing in bolstering technology into the economy.
They argue that as well as strengthening growth, supplementing investment in science results in better job opportunities and higher wages. This is especially useful now when so many Americans believe their salaries are not conducive to their everyday expenses. Johnson said:
“Good jobs are for MIT graduates, but they’re also for people who don’t finish college. They’re for people who drop out of high school. There’s a tremendous amount of anxiety across the country.”
According to Bloomberg’s US State Innovation Index, California is America’s “most innovative economy” based on the following factors:
- STEM jobs
- R&D
- Firms in technology
- Productivity
- Individuals who have science/engineering degrees.
Perhaps therefore not surprisingly – supporting Johnson and Gruber’s theory – a CNBC article found that California accounted for almost ¾ of non-farm jobs created in America in February; an additional 14,600 (nonfarm) jobs were added by the state last month; a report found that nonfarm payrolls in America increased by 20,000 jobs. Furthermore, Forbes contributor Mike Montgomery found that “technology can help prevent future California wildfires.” So there really is a lot to be said in favor of the benefits of technology for a state (and country’s) economic welfare.