Economic Change is Slower and More Complex Than We Think
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Economic change is happening more slowly than many believe, with lower rates of growth and decline compared to past decades.
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The nature of economic change often doesn't match common narratives - older workers tend to remain in declining sectors while younger workers avoid entering them.
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Research on 19th century teamsters shows a similar pattern of younger workers avoiding declining professions while older workers remain.
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Manufacturing employment has actually risen for UK workers in their 60s despite overall declines, as younger workers opt for other sectors.
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We need to update how we think about economic change - it brings challenges but is happening more slowly than believed and affects age groups differently.
![](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/19f16f83a5f059cf033b1a2a436f7f824f2db25a/0_197_5600_3361/master/5600.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdG8tb3BpbmlvbnMucG5n&s=5b58828450a1d4430976bf07158bd249)