McKinsey Global Institute analyzes 315 U.S. cities and 3,000 counties in terms of how tech automation affects their workers in the next 5 to 10 years. This analysis finds that the zip code of primary residence may be the most important determinant of the economic future for the American middle class. The 25 U.S. mega-cities and their peripheries are home to about a third of the chief American workforce. These metropolitan areas are likely to continue to capture 60%+ of U.S. job growth in the next few years. By contrast, 54 suburban areas and 2,000 rural counties are home to only a quarter of the U.S. population, and the rural areas may suffer with virtually zero employment growth in the next decade.

In this fresh light, America is a mosaic of local economies that traverse on divergent economic trajectories. Tech automation and artificial intelligence may inadvertently widen these economic disparities. The McKinsey report further indicates that the current tech trends may displace about 12 million Hispanic and African-American workers in the next few years. The government needs to invest in higher education to build the U.S. workforce of the new century, and this public investment should focus on closer employer-educator partnerships.