Do you remember when....?

Do you remember when most everyone had a job?
Do you remember when automation/robotics began to take jobs away?
Do you have any idea how many people are unemployed by advanced technology?
Do you have any idea how people will make a living in the future when technology makes them obsolete?

I remember when the world seemed simpler, though it probably wasn't.

Is technology taking jobs away? I don't know. It may take them away while providing more. How many people have lost jobs due to the computer industry vs. the number of people the industry employs. I don't know.

I worry more about outsourcing, about importing goods from countries who pay lower wages, have state-supported industries, and currency manipulation. I remember when I didn't know anything about things like that and, as you say, everyone had a job who wanted one.

Malcolm

I do remember when it seemed like most people had a job. When I was 20 years old and moved from Michigan to California to start my own life surviving on my own, I naively thought that there would always be jobs for anyone willing to work.

When automation/robotics started taking jobs I had friends in Michigan who worked for the car companies, and life as they knew it began to change. And not for the better.

I have no idea how many people are unemployed by advanced technology, but I bet the number is huge.

It scares me to think just how people will be able to make a living when technology makes them obsolete. I worry that I'll not have customers coming to my little store as things progressively get worse in our economy. (Ha! Thanks for reminding me, Abe!)

Malcolm, I think it was simpler before automation, credit cards, Walmart, etc. Service was part of life whether we wanted to buy gasoline, a pair of pants or just about anything at all. It wasn't any easier to get a job and I believe many of those jobs required more physical effort. In many ways, though, I believe it was simpler in that we were more willing to accept things as they came along and felt far less pressure to acquire more and more stuff. There didn't seem to be that "I want it all and I want it now" attitude. There were things we wanted, of course, but the majority seemed willing to wait until they could afford an item rather than going in debt to acquire. There were no payday advances with 39% interest. Debt often means stress and without that, life really is more simple. I think we'd be a lot better off if credit became harder to obtain again.

I don't know how I missed this -- but I did! Congratulations Abe on your five star status!

Shelagh,

It seems to me that increasing technology has not put people out of work as far as numbers go (the unemployment rate here has been roughly stable for years), but it has changed the nature of work. More people working in technology and service industries, with far fewer people working in specialized trades or manufacturing. I see call centers opening in regions where people once worked in say an automobile plant or fishery then have to adjust from at one time working in a place that paid a living wage to subsisting at the poverty level. No wonder we're more stressed out - and in debt up to our eyeballs.

I worry about outsourcing as you do Malcolm. I joined one of the writing sites for a while (Elance) where you can see all kinds of writing projects available and then you bid on them against other writers. Trouble is that a lot of the writers are based in India and Russia, and they'll essentially do any project for $50, no matter what kind of time it takes. I cannot make a living that way, and cancelled my subscription.
Congratulations Abe -- great to see you in the 5 star category!!

Lest we all forget, this country was founded by much labor. Labor is now a kind of nasty word when it comes to looking for employment. Even my own grands refer to it as "Manuel" labor. We have become soft and self indulgent.
Love,
Betty

Yes, Pam, I'm not willing to make pennies per hour to do ghost writen articles. None of that helps my resume and it gives me no byline exposure.

Malcolm

I hate the outsourcing more than the technology. Technology has created some positions for those who are willing to learn new skills, so it is not all bad. But the jobs that go to other countries is another story. The manufacturing overseas is sent back here, and even though the products are usually cheaper, there are more people who have no funds to buy the product. Most are just scrambling to make enough for food and gas money, not to mention health insurance and other expenses.

Does anyone know how many, if any, people lost their jobs to outsourcing and had to relocate to foreign soil in order to work? And If they did relocate, is the cost of living any cheaper for the lower paying jobs they took?

I have an idea that someday robots will be the only ones working. Everyone else will be out digging for roots to cook for dinner.

Much of the outsourcing is "manual labor" - something most people rebel against.

A plumber who gets his hands dirty earns more than many white collar workers. Farmers have built wealth by getting their hands dirty. Living off the land means getting dirty.

The migrant workers do the work that many Americans refuse to do and then complain that they don't have a job. That is not just an American thing. Here in Germany the Greeks and later the Slavs and the Pols, etc., came and did the dirty work. Now they are a large part of society and many have built businesses. Did not the same thing happen with Asians coming to America? They did the jobs others didn't want and used their hard-earned money to open Restuarants, Laundries, and other service oriented businesses.

The blue and white collar jobs got smashed with technology. Now these people, many well-educated, have been replaced by machines. Many of these people still don't want to get their hands dirty and wait, and wait, and wait, for the right job to become available. In the meanwhile, you will find people with Master's degrees serving Hamburgers at McDonalds.

Zada I know I have seen numbers, but it would take a while to dig them up.
Malcolm I know what you mean - if I have to work for peanuts, I'm not going to do do it for the circus.
Zada if you want to see the world of working robots, the movie Wall*e that came out earlier this year is about exactly that, and it is a gem of a show for adults as well as kids.
As for getting dirty, my own dream job was to start a market garden and supply all the local B & Bs with fresh veggies and herbs. I'm still working on that one!