Summary: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will launch its flagship publication, the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) 2018, with its focus on “How Technology Impacts Jobs”. The report examines how, as increased automation displaces some tasks, new occupations emerge to take their place. The displacement of workers due to technology is real, but with the right skills, training, and regulation, Asia can overcome this challenge. ADO also presents economic analyses of 45 economies, including the People’s Republic of China, India, and Indonesia. The publication examines Asia’s prospects by subregion: Central Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. This address on how technology impacts jobs, development, and forecasts for the Asia Pacific region was led by Ananya Basu, Principal Economist from ADB’s Pacific Department; and Valerie Mercer-Blackman, Senior Economist from ADB’s Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department; and was chaired by Roland Rajah, Director of the International Economy Program at the Lowy Institute.
