Washington, D.C. — The Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity (PTIO) released the following statement on the bipartisan introduction of the Workforce Data for Analyzing and Tracking Automation (DATA) Act, which would measure the impact of automation on workers in order to inform workforce development strategies and best practices:
“PTIO exists to identify and promote policies and programs that will help ensure Americans benefit from the adoption of autonomous vehicle technology, and doing so is contingent upon an evidence-based understanding of automation’s impact on the workforce. Soliciting the expertise of the National Academies, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Labor, as well as expert stakeholders, is an important step toward building a robust foundation of data capable of informing impactful policymaking. We applaud Senators Peters and Young for their leadership on this issue and introduction of the Workforce DATA Act.”
The Workforce DATA Act, introduced by U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN), would authorize the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) — in conjunction with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine — to record the effect of automation on the workforce and measure those trends over time, including job displacement, the number of new jobs created, and the shifting of in-demand skills. It also would establish a workforce development advisory board comprised of business leaders and other expert stakeholders to advise the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on workforce development strategies based on the amassed data.
