To fully understand and plan for the return to work after the impact of COVID, it's important to understand the trends already impacting the future work force. Kopser outlines 11 challenges from the shrinking middle class, wage disparities, and AI and robotics replacing jobs. Joseph Kopser is a lifelong problem solver committed to building the teams needed to take on our toughest challenges. He is President of Grayline where he works with people and companies to bring together experts, data, and solutions to help companies and public institutions manage disruptive change. In addition, he is a technology entrepreneur and expert in transportation, smart cities, urban mobility, energy, national security issues as well as an Army combat veteran. Currently he serves as an Executive-in-Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. To connect with Kopser, visit JosephKopser.com. Grayline Group knows that technology is changing faster than business models, and globalization has magnified the threat surface for companies, investors, and governments. Change creates opportunity and risk. It requires the skills of new leadership and strategy in the workplace. Grayline Group brings together experts, data, and solutions to help business and government leaders manage transformation resulting from technological and socioeconomic catalysts.

1. The Great Divide:
Challenges of our Future Workforce
Joseph Kopser of Grayline Group

2. 11
CHALLENGES
FACING THE
FUTURE
OF OUR
WORKFORCE
1
2
3
4
5
The Great Divide
6
7
8
9
10
11
Decoupling Productivity from Wages
Increasing Wage Disparity Based on Skill
Labor Force Participation
Shrinking of the Middle Class
AI and Robotics are Accelerants
Building the Future Workforce
Types of Skills
Education
Hiring and Training
Inclusion and National Competitiveness Joseph Kopser

3. The US is in the midst of a
generation-long shift in labor,
productivity, jobs, and pay
Some jobs will go away while others
will emerge
Widens the gap between winners
(those with the skills to keep up) and
losers (those whose skills are
misaligned)
Companies require proactive
solutions
THE GREAT
DIVIDE
Joseph Kopser

4. DECOUPLING
PRODUCTIVITY
FROM WAGES
Historical correlation between labor
productivity and worker wage no longer exists
Labor productivity now measured by the
amount of real GDP produced by one hour of
labor
Labor productivity continued to rise while pay
and employment flatlined
Work has become less important in the overall
context of economic productivity
Joseph Kopser

5. INCREASING
WAGE
DISPARITY
BASED ON
SKILL
Stark divergence between wages and skill
Between 1973 and 2016, wages for
individuals:
with advanced degrees increased by 32%
with high school degrees decreased by
6%
with without high school degrees
decreased by 17%
Digital economy has been great for those
with the skills and education, but disastrous
for those without
Joseph Kopser

6. Potential reasons for drop:
2008 recession
Lack of reentry into the workforce
Lack of reentry into the workforce
Many who had positions eliminated don't
have the right skills to find new jobs
People are opting out of lower paying
jobs due to higher cost of living
End of the spectrum of the labor force
are the have & haves nots
Being left behind = dropping out of
labor force entirely
Labor force participation rose as women
entered workforce (20th century),
remained constant (1990-2008), then
dropped (2008-2016)
LABOR FORCE
PARTICIPATION
Joseph Kopser

7. SHRINKING OF THE MIDDLE CLASS
Middle class is under pressure and shrinking relative to upper and middle class
Wealth is going to those with skills fit for the new economy
Those without the skills are being left behind
Middle class defined as:
“at least two-thirds of the U.S. median household income, but no more than double
the median.”
Evidence of growing divide between "winners and losers" (1971-2015)
Middle class shrank - 60.8% - 49.9% of Americans
Purchasing power also decreased
Upper class grew - 14% - 21.1% of Americans
Lower class grew - 25.2% - 29% of Americans
Source: Pew Research
Joseph Kopser

8. AI & ROBOTICS
ARE ACCELERANTS
Interactive machines will affect every
industry and public sector domain
Technologies offset many traditionally
middle-class jobs without creating
corresponding new jobs
Will lead to collapse of middle class,
which would have negative social
and political consequences
Joseph Kopser

9. BUILDING
THE
FUTURE
WORKFORCE
Historical examples of labor force disruption:
Wagon & Carriage industry --> Vehicles
Bookkeeping profession --> Computers & Spreadsheets
Businesses must be proactive
Preventing change is not a solution
Digital Revolution
Embracing change, Preparing next generation of workers
How do we set the most amount of Americans up for success?
Not just a government issue; businesses and communities need to
be involved too
Barries to success for skilled workers are at an all time low
More skilled workers = more opportunity = more economic
productivity Joseph Kopser

10. Workers need skills to keep up
with digital economy
STEM
Skills machines cannot
perform
Critical thinking
Creativity
Communications
Adaptability
TYPES OF
SKILLS
Joseph Kopser

11. EDUCATION
Traditional model of one-size-fits-all
education should be reevaluated
Government, education, and healthcare
have changed over last 75 years
Rethink education process in context of
the end product - skilled citizens
Joseph Kopser

12. Companies should reevaluate hiring/
training process
Imperative to hire workers with industry
baseline knowledge but also have flexibility
and creativity to grow and change as
needed
Hiring and interview process is inefficient at
finding the type of people businesses
actually need
Hiring based on prior success ignores the
fact that yesterday's environment is not the
same success as tomorrow's
Further investment in training affects
business performance and retention
HIRING AND
TRAINING
Joseph Kopser

13. INCLUSION AND NATIONAL
COMPETITIVENESS
Aligning skills of as many people in the digital economy as possible benefits
everyone
Happier, better compensated workers, lower crime, higher productive economic
output, larger tax base
National competitiveness transcends race, political ideology, age, gender, and
region
Human talent is our most important asset - we all benefit from getting it right
Joseph Kopser

14. Joseph Kopser is a technology entrepreneur and expert in transportation, smart cities, urban
mobility, energy, national security issues as well as an Army combat veteran. Currently he
serves as an Executive-in-Residence at the McCombs School of Business at the University of
Texas. In addition, he is President of Grayline where he works to bring together experts, data,
and solutions to help companies and public institutions manage disruptive change. Prior to co-
founding Grayline, Joseph co-founded and served as CEO of RideScout, before it was
acquired by Mercedes-Benz in 2014.
Joseph also served in the U.S. Army for 20 years earning the Combat Action Badge, Army
Ranger Tab and Bronze Star and is a graduate of West Point with a BS in Aerospace
Engineering and also received a Masters from the Harvard Kennedy School in 2002. In 2013, he
was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for his efforts in Energy and
Transportation. In 2014, his company won the U.S. Department of Transportation Data
Innovation Award. In 2018, Joseph ran for Congress in a race that attracted more voters than
any of the 36 districts in Texas. Losing by less than 3 points in a heavily gerrymandered district,
Joseph demonstrated that voters want civility and problem solvers in Congress. In his free
time, he works closely with The Bunker, an organization dedicated to supporting veteran
entrepreneurs. In 2017, he co-authored the book, Catalyst, which he recommends you check
out on Amazon. In 2019, Joseph became the inaugural Chairman of the Board of Advisors for
the CleanTX Foundation, an economic development and professional association for
cleantech. Joseph lives in Austin with his wife and is extremely proud of three adult daughters.
Joseph Kopser, President - Grayline Group

15. Connect with me at JosephKopser.com
Check out my book, Catalyst, on Amazon.