Chartrand 1
Wyatt Anselm Chartrand
Economic Analysis of
the Future of Work
And The Economic Viability of Business and Economics Degrees in
Relation to Other Degrees (Honors Program Extension)
SUNY Jefferson Community College
Teacher Brownell
Macro-Economics (Eco 101)
02/21/2013
Chartrand 2
Abstract: This report will discuss and analyze the modern work world from the present out
until 2025, in both national and multinational contexts. It will examine education
in light of current economics, especially in STEM and business fields. It will also
look at how the outlook for current graduates is, and make recommendations for
what students can do to improve their prospects. In my Honors Program
extension (The latter half of this report), I will attempt to analyze the differing
economic potential and versatility of different degrees, especially business and
economic degrees, as well as discuss why some degrees are more valuable than
others (e.g. STEM degrees versus certain humanities degrees).
As Lynda Gratton states in her book The Shift, “We can expect a future scenario where the forces
of globalisation increase these gaps in an increasingly ‘winner take all’ society” (Gratton, 109).
It is upon those words that I will predicate much of this report, given its importance to the
questions I will answer here. To briefly summarize, the future of work will include five primary
forces: technology, globalisation, demography and longevity, society, and energy resources.
Technology will influence and increase connectivity, efficiency in production, the ways we
interact with each other, and the dissemination and digitization of information and knowledge.
The force of globalisation will encompass larger talent pools through better education, global
economic downturns and recessions, and the appearance of a large lower-income bracket.
Demography and longevity address shrinking populations in relationship to production and jobs,
and the rise of Millennials. The force of society will deal primarily with shifting familial
