Giving Compass' Take:

· A new study commissioned by Walmart with research from McKinsey Global Institute shows that to prepare for the age of automation, US states must develop multiple sets of strategies to fit a particular “community archetype.”

· What are the eight archetypes identified in the report? How will automation affect the US economy? 

· Read more about preparing for the rise of automation. 

Imagine that you’re the governor of Pennsylvania or Vermont, and you’re trying to figure out how to help your state cope with the impact of automation. What policies do you pursue first to ensure that people can succeed as the job market is rapidly remade?

Actually, that’s a trick question.

As a new study from Walmart makes clear, every state requires multiple sets of strategies, each one tailored to fit a particular “community archetype.” In fact, of the eight archetypes that the report identifies, Pennsylvania has seven of them within its borders. Even Vermont, with a total population just north of 600,000, contains four archetypes. On average, each state has five.

“It really highlights the need for local solutions,” says Kathleen McLaughlin, the chief sustainability officer at Walmart, which will release the analysis today at the Bentonville Conference on American Life.

Read the full article about preparing for the impact of automation by Rick Wartzman at Fast Company.