Giving Compass' Take:

• Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, talks about how the future of work must be tied into people and equity, rather than focusing solely on technology.

• What can other foundations and nonprofits do to address the fundamental questions about the changing economy and who gets left behind? Are we prepared to elevate the voices of workers across all backgrounds?

• Here's why we're all policymakers when it comes to the future of work.

The questions on the so-called future of work are clear: How will technology affect jobs and the labor market? Which kinds of jobs will be replaced, what new jobs will be created, what is the quality of those jobs, and how will the relationship between employees and employers change? Which of these changes are around the corner, and which are years away? And how will we ensure that those who have been historically excluded — whether by race, gender, geography, or immigration status — are not further marginalized by these labor market shifts?

Too often, discussions about the future of work center on technology rather than on the people who will be affected by it. And they rarely acknowledge how the concentration of political and economic power shapes the way technology is developed and deployed. Instead, the entire discourse is led by champions of technology — management consultants, engineers, venture capitalists, and scientists — and tinged with inevitability, rather than being the product of thoughtful human decision-making, the consequences of which will affect countless lives ...

For us at the Ford Foundation, the question of work could not be more vital, or more tied to our larger fight against inequality. Addressing this issue is central to our mission, and essential to the stability and success of our democracy as well.

Read the full article about the future of work(ers) by Darren Walker at the Ford Foundation.