Grounded in the 'race between education and technology', this book uses multi-source data to examine the evolving labour market for college graduates, interpreting the shift in the relationship between humans and automation from competition to coexistence that is reshaping skill demand, education policy, and labour market in China and abroad.

In examining the competition between humans and automation, the authors analyze how automation is pushing graduates out of informal employment, reshaping their career paths and changing labour market structures. They also explore the impact of automation on skill demand, distinguishing between general and specific skills and highlighting the changing demands of the labour market in response to technological advances. The discussion then moves from competition to coexistence between humans and automation, highlighting how education policy can play a crucial role in managing human-automation substitution. The authors argue that rather than simply displacing human workers, automation can be integrated into the workforce in a way that promotes coexistence and even synergy between human skills and technological innovation.

This book extends the traditional understanding of the relationship between technology, the labour market, and education. It will appeal to scholars and students interested in the economics of education and labour economics.

Peikang Zhang is an assistant professor at the Institute of Higher Education, Fudan University. He received his PhD from Peking University in 2022. His research interests include economics of education. He is also a GLO Virtual Young Scholar in the 2023-24 cohort.

Huailiang Liang is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Education from Tsinghua University. His research interests include education policy and economics of education.

Xuanyu Chen is a Master’s student at the Institute of Higher Education, Fudan University. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Educational Technology, from Shanghai International Studies University. His research interests involve the economics of education, learning sciences, and AI in education.

Yuxuan Qin is a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Higher Education, Fudan University. Her research interests include educational economics and management, AI in education, and STEM education.