Andreessen: Even if AI Triples Productivity Growth, Job Turnover Only Returns to 1870s-1930s Levels
lennysan · x · 2026-08-28
Lenny's Newsletter highlights Marc Andreessen's argument from his podcast appearance pushing back on the "AI job collapse" narrative: over the last 50 years, economic growth ran at half the pace of the prior era and a third the pace of a century ago, with almost no real technological progress in the economy — and remarkably little job turnover as a result.
His core claim: even if AI triples productivity growth — a massive deal — job turnover would only return to the 1870–1930 rate. People living through that period didn't experience collapse but a world awash with opportunity: new careers, products and services, with much of the modern world invented and scaled in that window.
Related event: Andreessen: AI Arrives Just in Time to Save Stalled Growth(3 posts)→
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