Technology and Jobs

Technology and Jobs

How many jobs have been lost to technology? We all enjoy new technology, but it comes with a price. Machines replace workers. A business calculates the cost of labor and decides it is less costly to use a machine. What happens to the laid-off workers? They talk about re-training workers displaced by technology. For what jobs will they be trained? Who will pay the cost of the training? If the person is unemployed, can he/she afford to pay for re-training?
Age is also a factor. Older employees have difficulty learning, especially high tech, and at the same time, they are no longer desired due to their age.

How many of our unemployed are employable? As we replace workers with more technology, there will be more unemployed. What will happen when there is no work available for the unemployed? How will they survive?

My questions are not new, however I don’t think there is enough attention being given to this problem. One requires an income to survive. Many unemployed are finding jobs in the service industry, however that too is diminishing. Self-service has also replaced workers. Email is affecting the postal service. We want everything fast. We are told that “Time is money.” Selling your time for money is not so simple.

We see book stores closing attributed to e-books. What happens to the workers?

If a machine can do the work of 10 employees, does that mean it takes one worker to operate the machine and nine unemployed?

Is our education system preparing for the age of technology? How will people survive in a mechanized society?

There is an advantage to getting old(er). No worry about employment, however the only concern now is that the benefits promised will continue. The one certainty we have is death. In the meanwhile, while we circulate among the living, we must find a way to survive and enjoy the time we have remaining. Having friends and being loved is the greatest benefit.

The nation went through a phase of creation and innovation with new products and services. These created jobs to replace the simpler, low skill jobs. However, when the wars and wall street greed tanked the economy, funds for research and innovation dried up in industry, science and technology. Thus only a few profitable technology areas are still creating - and they seem to be double doing the creations already out there. In other words, nothing new, just a new competitor for existing knowledge.

China is still an emerging economy. They are in an innovation and exploration phase. They will likely surpass the U.S. with new type jobs for the future.

A friend of mine found employment in a solar panel manufacturer. It recently shut down because they could not compete with the solar panels manufactured in China.