Indeed, the economy is changing significantly, and the types of jobs we see will continue to change tremendously over the next decade. Artificial intelligence and automation are often cited as ways to enhance productivity. I think that we, as a society, need to make sure that people can continue to participate fully and work in that society.
Just recently, for example, we took the initiative of joining forces with the Literacy Foundation, establishing an agreement. Nearly 40% of Quebecers experience some difficulty reading or writing, such as reading the instructions for a prescription drug. In an increasingly automated world, there is no denying the fact that people will eventually be talking to machines, and that means that they will have to be able to converse and read, in terms of essential workplace skills. We therefore decided to conduct a study to assess the impact of literacy issues in the workplace. There's nothing like measuring something to know its impact.
A few years ago, we measured the impact of entrepreneurial succession issues, including the lack of succession. Now, we have decided to measure how those challenges faced by Quebeckers impact GDP. Next, we will look at what we can do to fix the situation and help those workers transition to the new economy as well.