[vorg]

> jobs that could be automated with a few days or weeks of programmer effort

Governments don't want the workers in their countries to not have a job, even when there's plenty of wealth to go around. Such people will actively demonstrate against all sorts of abuse by government employees and property owners, and even cause socialist revolutions at home and create terror abroad.

Even better for governments are when the workers in the country have heavily mortgaged houses and children with medical expenses. That's the main reason for BS jobs, high house prices, and fast food.