• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

As technology is improved unemployment will rise

I'm ready! 🙂

Obama-Food-Coupon.jpg
 
Imp said:
??? People on the TV keep telling me that getting rid of low-wage jobs will free everyone to be high-wage workers???
Click to expand...

Probably not the thread for anything serious, but when I started surveying, three man crews were standard, and before that it was five man crews. It then went to two man crews, and now I work by myself with a robot.

It used to be someone without experience could get into the business, and learn as they went, leading to a job that paid decent, but not exceptional money. Those days are about over. Now you have to go to school, exit knowing half what you should know, and hope you get an entry level job, and hope you like it enough to stay until you make ok money.

Technology can't be stopped, and it shouldn't be stopped, but it isn't all sunshine and lollipops.
 
Imp said:
??? People on the TV keep telling me that getting rid of low-wage jobs will free everyone to be high-wage workers???
Click to expand...

This. It's already happening. Millions of people flocking to college and every one of them have multiple high paying, white collar jobs ready for them. None of this menial labor stuff for the U.S.

Why make an iPhone when you can be the designer of the next iPhone.
 
It's a double edged sword. Technology makes our lives better but at same time it means there is less neat for manual labor, which then means less jobs.

I don't know what's going to happen but our current way of living is not sustainable. As population grows and jobs vanish we will be left with tons of people with no where to live and no food etc, and that also means less customers for the companies, so that means the little employees they do have will end up getting laid off and it will just snowball into a worse and worse state of unemployment and poverty.

Tech is not the biggest threat though, outsourcing is. There is still tons of work to be done, problem is all the good stuff gets outsourced.
 
lxskllr said:
Probably not the thread for anything serious, but when I started surveying, three man crews were standard, and before that it was five man crews. It then went to two man crews, and now I work by myself with a robot.

It used to be someone without experience could get into the business, and learn as they went, leading to a job that paid decent, but not exceptional money. Those days are about over. Now you have to go to school, exit knowing half what you should know, and hope you get an entry level job, and hope you like it enough to stay until you make ok money.

Technology can't be stopped, and it shouldn't be stopped, but it isn't all sunshine and lollipops.
Click to expand...

It's cloudy with a chance of meatballs?
 
Imp said:
Don't worry, man, we'll all become engineers, managers, and those "high class" jobs.
Click to expand...

Well, we kind of already did during the 1960s and 70s. Back when factory work started waning and baby boomers entered universities in unprecedented numbers.

We're in a third industrial revolution right now. One of automation, that began in the 50s but is starting to really pick up steam. It's getting to the point where robots can do the repetitive jobs that humans used to on assembly lines, or other unskilled labour positions. The recession only served to aggravate a problem that's been simmering for some time. We're still not exactly sure what the long term societal implications are. Conventional economic thinking doesn't really apply anymore. Though, that's not exactly a new thing. The previous two industrial revolutions came about with a lot of uncertainty and hardship.
 
It depends entirely on focus and timeline. If you're talking about the U.S. and the next twenty years, perhaps. Personally, I believe technology is a tertiary factor at best behind local economies and short term profits.
 
Last edited:
The correct solution to the problem of "abundance" is a higher minimum wage and/or a cap on a full time work week at 24 or 16 hrs. We are able to produce plenty (all?) of the output we need without employing 250+ million people for forty hours a week.
 
HendrixFan said:
The correct solution to the problem of "abundance" is a higher minimum wage and/or a cap on a full time work week at 24 or 16 hrs. We are able to produce plenty (all?) of the output we need without employing 250+ million people for forty hours a week.
Click to expand...

Obviously, you've been drinking the fluoridated water. There's no profit in that. Anything that doesn't make a buck has no value. Only by using every available resource (if only to keep someone else from using it) can our maximum profit be reached long enough for the current robber barons to "get theirs."
 
Engineer said:
Good description and pretty much happening right in front of our eyes.
Click to expand...

The saddest part is it becomes a never ending cycle. At least until the resources to exploit become too expensive. Expensive being defined as the ability to maintain or increase profit margins of course. Sigh, it's even the way economics are taught in our universities. No one sees a need or, has an interest in, looking beyond the boardroom.
 
OverVolt said:
You know working in the tech sector won't actually shield you from it right?
Click to expand...

Absolutely right. Middle class manufacturing left the country and the next wave will be white collar jobs as globalization becomes much easier (with internet, jet age, etc). If the corps. think they can make a short term gain by getting rid of you, you will be gone....long term consequences be damned.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top