21st century

===Economics, education and retirement===
Economically and politically, the United States and Western Europe were dominant at the beginning of the century; by the [[2010s]], China became an [[emerging superpower|emerging global superpower]] and, by some measures, the world's [[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|largest economy]]. In terms of [[purchasing power parity]], [[India's economy]] became more significant than [[Japan]]'s around 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-larger-than-japan-in-ppp-terms-says-wb-114043000075_1.html|title=India larger than Japan in PPP terms, says WB|first=B. S.|last=Reporter|newspaper=Business Standard India|date=30 April 2014|via=Business Standard|access-date=12 January 2019|archive-date=25 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025073751/https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/india-larger-than-japan-in-ppp-terms-says-wb-114043000075_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Bitcoin]] and other [[cryptocurrencies]] are decentralized currencies that are not controlled by any central bank. These currencies are increasing in popularity worldwide due to the expanding availability of the [[internet]] and are mainly used as a [[store of value]].

There is an ongoing impact of [[technological unemployment]] due to [[automation]] and [[Business process reengineering|computerization]]: the rate at which jobs are disappearing—due to machines replacing them—is expected to escalate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://danielmiessler.com/images/mfg1.jpg |title=US Real Manufacturing Output vs. Employment, 1947 to 2014 |access-date=4 March 2019 |archive-date=6 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306111459/https://danielmiessler.com/images/mfg1.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> Automation alters the number of jobs and the skills demands of industries. As of 2019, the production output of [[First World|first world nation]]s' manufacturing sectors was doubled when compared to 1984 output; but it is now produced with one-third fewer workers and at significantly reduced [[operating cost]]s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWLZgalWkAAUpYL.jpg&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/jessphoenix2018/status/965290722067824645&docid=i0gYqb6m7ILAxM&tbnid=eHWWEy0Z6B0qYM:&vet=10ahUKEwiOlfiL--jgAhUFNKwKHR2GApUQMwh_KC4wLg..i&w=621&h=467&itg=1&bih=665&biw=1292&q=metropolitan+policy+program+automation&iact=mrc&uact=8|title=Google Image Result|website=google.com|access-date=10 February 2022|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308123239/https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpbs.twimg.com%2Fmedia%2FDWLZgalWkAAUpYL.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fjessphoenix2018%2Fstatus%2F965290722067824645&docid=i0gYqb6m7ILAxM&tbnid=eHWWEy0Z6B0qYM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwiOlfiL--jgAhUFNKwKHR2GApUQMwh_KC4wLg..i&w=621&h=467&itg=1&bih=665&biw=1292&q=metropolitan+policy+program+automation&iact=mrc&uact=8|url-status=live}}</ref> Half of all jobs with requirements lower than a bachelor's degree are currently in the process of being replaced with partial- or full-automation.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://i1.wp.com/www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fig7-automation-education.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C9999px&ssl=1 |title=Figure 7 |access-date=4 March 2019 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224205249/https://i1.wp.com/www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/fig7-automation-education.jpg?w=768&crop=0,0px,100,9999px&ssl=1 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[World Economic Forum]] forecast that 65% of children entering [[primary school]] will end up in jobs or careers that currently do not yet exist.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/the-future-of-work-wont-be-about-degrees-it-will-be-about-skills.html|title=The future of work won't be about degrees, it will be about skills |type=Opinion |author=Stephane Kasriel |date=31 October 2018|work=CNBC |access-date=7 November 2018|archive-date=13 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213061050/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/31/the-future-of-work-wont-be-about-degrees-it-will-be-about-skills.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

A rise in the retirement age has been called for in view of an increase in [[life expectancy]] and has been put in place in many jurisdictions.<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40057117| title=Call to raise retirement age to at least 70| work=BBC News| date=26 May 2017| last1=Johnston| first1=Chris| access-date=16 November 2019| archive-date=12 November 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112020146/https://www.bbc.com/news/business-40057117| url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=Emily Jane Fox | url=https://money.cnn.com/2012/06/12/news/economy/retirement-age/index.htm | title=Retirement age must rise – OECD | access-date=16 November 2019 | archive-date=24 October 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024152330/https://money.cnn.com/2012/06/12/news/economy/retirement-age/index.htm | url-status=live }}</ref>