Mark Zuckerberg says technology doesn’t create more jobs, but increases pay

Mark Zuckerberg says technology doesn’t necessarily create more jobs but does improve the pay of workers who get re-trained to take advantage of innovation in their industries.

Zuckerberg made the comments in a post after visiting an Oklahoma wind farm, part of what he says will be the last leg of his 2017 tour of the U.S.

“I’m in Oklahoma on the last trip of my Year of Travel challenge,”Zuckerberg wrote in the post, referring to his plan to visit all the states he hadn’t previously.

“I’ve got a few more stops and then Friday morning I’m doing a live discussion in Kansas about what I’ve learned this year,” the FacebookCEO wrote.

Zuckerberg, one of the world’s five wealthiest people, then turned his attention to the impact of technology on the nation’s workers.

“A lot of people focus on whether technology creates or destroys jobs. I’ve seen both this year –improving tech has created more jobs in some industries and in others it has eliminated jobs. But perhaps the more common dynamic I’ve seen is that the number of jobs stays about the same, but in order to operate the increasingly advanced technology, people need more training and therefore get more pay.”

Studies from several universities have suggested that technology will eliminate jobs in many professions in coming decades.

Zuckerberg also gave a plug to the renewable energy industry in a state usually associated with oil and gas production.

“I visited a wind farm outside Duncan. Oklahoma is oil country, and they’re still the third highest producer of natural gas of any state. But as technology improves and costs get lower, renewable energy is catching up. Oklahoma is on track to become the nation’s second biggest producer of wind energy behind Texas,” he wrote.