New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is the latest to call for a tax on robots. One may as well call for a tax on economic growth and progress.
Under de Blasio's proposed tax, companies that do not provide “adequate replacement employment” would be required to make an upfront payment of five years payroll taxes for every job eliminated. If the goal is to “protect jobs” this is a counterproductive way to go about it. If you make it harder to fire, you also make it less likely that anyone will hire. Few want to take on an obligation into perpetuity.
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