[Dove]

It's 2020. Lots of teenagers don't have jobs and would like them. Someone starts a new business based on the available cheap labor.

Dog poop scooping? Personal couriers? Game testing? Something we haven't thought of because the relevant industry doesn't exist yet?

Economies aren't static. You can always find something useful to do.

[jkeel]

I agree. Even now (2012 - almost 2013) there are still lots of services needed but when I was a teenager I unfortunately kept looking for a type of job that my friends had instead of looking for a need to fill (I eventually did land a very different job though working alongside field workers).

Today I've seen adults in their 30's and 40's jump out of the IT industry to start their own business scooping dog poop out of back yards and making enough money to live on. Same thing with cleaning swimming pools. There are lots of services they could provide.

[Dove]

Indeed. The out-of-work teenager doesn't necessarily need to start the business himself--someone will see the opportunity--but it is helpful if he can. I think it is a better mindset to try to be useful than to seek a job.

[jlarocco]

I'd love to see enough jobs automated so that when somebody asks, "But what about the people who do those jobs now?" the answer is "Everybody in the remaining jobs drop down to 20 hours a week, the unemployed take up the other 20 hours a week, and we all enjoy more leisure time." I don't see it happening, but it would be nice.

It's a little disappointing that despite immense advances in technology and production, and increased efficiency, all we're achieving is having people toil the same amount as before, but doing something else.

[Dove]

I think that will happen to the extent that people want it to. It's happening now, in fact, with things like semi-retirement and freelancing and professional (but not rich) bloggers/web comic authors and so forth on the rise. You can live a very frugal lifestyle and have a lot of free time if you want.

Most people seem to be choosing to spend productivity gains on "more stuff" rather than "more time". And that is certainly their prerogative. :) I mean, with so many people working so productively for so many hours, there is a lot of cool stuff available nowadays.

[Evbn]

That is contingent upon minimum wage rising to match, or an Alask-style guaranteed income trust.