General Discussion

chrisa

(4,524 posts)

69. Because we're not creating enough jobs.

Tue Mar 27, 2012, 10:55 AM

Mar 2012

We can create jobs lost from automation, and bring these people into other areas. Our government just hasn't been good at creating jobs recently. If you can replace those jobs in the country, and still have the automation, then the automation is purely beneficial without the downside of jobs that are lost forever.

As for the chart, could this be because some of these jobs are near the end of their usefulness, and are becoming less in demand? It's not the business's fault if that is the case -they're just trying to do what is most efficient. Certain skills will not be useful forever. Like I said in a post below, when was the last time you needed an elevator operator, or a blacksmith to make you a sword? Maybe we're trending away from manual labor and human goods producers to a state of almost pure automation - where those who were goods producers will be forced to get another set of skills?

The downside is the loss of jobs (but it doesn't have to be, like I said above), heavily offset by an increasingly efficient society where we have more free time due to machines doing stuff for us.

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Marshall Brain: We are about to see a seismic shift in the American workforce [View all] txlibdem Mar 2012 OP

REC. KG Mar 2012 #1

Don't use robotic checkouts. Period. CanonRay Mar 2012 #2

And fabric made with automated looms is right out!! nt. harmonicon Mar 2012 #16

There's not much I can personally do about a lot of crrap that's going on CanonRay Mar 2012 #66

Refuse to buy fabric made on automated looms? harmonicon Mar 2012 #67

I avoid them as well mostly because..... Swede Atlanta Mar 2012 #20

As a grocery worker I avoid them like the plague. Codeine Mar 2012 #21

I also no longer bag my own groceries. RadiationTherapy Mar 2012 #22

The first time I went to the grocery store that had self check tech3149 Mar 2012 #25

Exactly. I was at Home Depot one day and the self checkouts were empty. Some salesperson asked me Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #40

That happened to me too. progressoid Mar 2012 #42

Sad. They're employed to help get rid of their jobs. nt Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #43

I politely decline and tell then why. I don't check myself out to save their jobs. Vincardog Mar 2012 #50

I've been working in television for the last 12 years guitar man Mar 2012 #3

We people have the power. I wouldn't use these kinds of systems. I will not shop in this southernyankeebelle Mar 2012 #4

well that cheered me up on this otherwise humdrum day onethatcares Mar 2012 #5

No worries... tex-wyo-dem Mar 2012 #9

"Moore's Law" depends on cheap abundant fossil fuels zazen Mar 2012 #11

Butlerian Jihad MattBaggins Mar 2012 #6

this is news? unblock Mar 2012 #7

Basically why I don't use any except the self-serve gas station. That's because sinkingfeeling Mar 2012 #8

Here in Oregon, there is no such thing as self-serve gas. They pump. Always. Bluenorthwest Mar 2012 #17

I don't think I can drive the 1000 to 2000 miles to either NJ or Oregon to buy gas! sinkingfeeling Mar 2012 #48

NJ has them all over... Blue_Tires Mar 2012 #18

We have one in my town, I use it exclusively. dixiegrrrrl Mar 2012 #30

NJ has mandatory full service gas tabbycat31 Mar 2012 #37

As well as some of the lowest gas prices in the land KamaAina Mar 2012 #74

It's monstrous. nt Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #10

this is the realm of science fiction tmy236 Mar 2012 #12

Who says we need to maintain this inefficient economy? txlibdem Mar 2012 #79

The other big problem is we're depleting our resources, and so is the rest of the world. nt Selatius Mar 2012 #80

Here's what I do - Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #13

Good on you! dixiegrrrrl Mar 2012 #31

Good! You know, it'd be good if everyone who didn't participate in it, spoke to the store mgr and Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #32

I looked and looked and finally found the perfect chaises..Sam Moore furniture SoCalDem Mar 2012 #35

Awesome!! Vera Bradley manufactures only in the U.S. - and for those who can't afford them... Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #39

Last year I ordered a table & 6 chairs from a place in Texas SoCalDem Mar 2012 #47

I think we're going to have to start actually asking where they manufacture things, you know? Sarah Ibarruri Mar 2012 #49

Still waiting for the lower prices, too. Brickbat Mar 2012 #14

Me too! Tippy Mar 2012 #15

Don't hold your breath, those massive increaes in productitivity go to buy the CEO another Ikonoklast Mar 2012 #24

+1000. HughBeaumont Mar 2012 #28

It's time for a 32 hour work week. n/t lumberjack_jeff Mar 2012 #19

Hell, way less than that eridani Mar 2012 #64

Yeah, but he ate at McDonald's. randome Mar 2012 #23

A socialist view on robots... dash_bannon Mar 2012 #26

A refreshingly optimistic viewpoint. randome Mar 2012 #29

In a perfect world, this would be the case. dotymed Mar 2012 #34

Then why don't businesses pay their workers a fair living wage? Hugabear Mar 2012 #41

easy. stupidity StarsInHerHair Mar 2012 #62

There's going to have to be a hell of a downside The2ndWheel Mar 2012 #46

Nothing like that comes for free? txlibdem Mar 2012 #77

and customer service goes out the window newspeak Mar 2012 #27

yip Johonny Mar 2012 #53

The inevitability of robotic dotymed Mar 2012 #33

Some people have seen this coming for decades! LongTomH Mar 2012 #36

Great post. I've been calling it the black box singularity. Spike89 Mar 2012 #72

Maker bot gets a thumbs up txlibdem Mar 2012 #78

I almost never put the cart back in the corral at the grocery store XemaSab Mar 2012 #38

It gets worse than that. Zalatix Mar 2012 #44

There is nothing wrong with increasing productivity hedgehog Mar 2012 #45

You forgot about wages. Zalatix Mar 2012 #63

Everybody ignores how this technology will also make our lives tons times better. chrisa Mar 2012 #51

What new jobs will be created? Nothing. There'll simply be fewer jobs and more unemployed. Zalatix Mar 2012 #52

People to maintain and create the new technology, as always chrisa Mar 2012 #58

Trust you? Job growth has lagged behind pop growth for OVER a decade Zalatix Mar 2012 #60

Because we're not creating enough jobs. chrisa Mar 2012 #69

And how is the Government going to create jobs? Zalatix Mar 2012 #70

Response chrisa Mar 2012 #73

Ayup, and we're going to be waiting for decades for that next big thing. Zalatix Mar 2012 #75

because getting out of your car to pump gas is soooo much fun Johonny Mar 2012 #54

The end of full-service gas had nothing to do with technology. chrisa Mar 2012 #59

A voice of reason! Shocking! nt. harmonicon Mar 2012 #68

That argument is a bit moot if the government won't even allocate funds for job training programs. Selatius Mar 2012 #81

Jobs for programming/installing the machines and building/implementing them. Lex Mar 2012 #55

All except the ATM suck something awful and I avoid them. Edweird Mar 2012 #56

I still ride my horsey over to the Long Branch to get my sasparilla. won't catch me dead in one of Gabi Hayes Mar 2012 #57

WalMart took their automated checkouts OUT... Rosco T. Mar 2012 #61

The PC must have generated an even more seismic shift in the 80s. Prometheus Bound Mar 2012 #65

UAW has been saying this for 40 years. Octafish Mar 2012 #71

Which is why I always ask for a clerk. aquart Mar 2012 #76