Industrial robots are bringing jobs back home, but not for low-skilled workers

Industrial robots are bringing jobs back home, but not for low-skilled workers

An immense rise in automation by means of industrial robots has taken place. Figures from the International Federation of Robotics reveal that while automation was almost an unkown phenomenon in the 1970s, with fewer than 3000 industrial robots installed worldwide, the operational stock of robots is nowadays already approaching 2.5 million .

At the same time, nations tend to apply more and more protectionist policies. The notion gains ground that the relocation of production from foreign countries to the home country and the renegotiation of trade deals would bring jobs back home. This argument has been most prominently expressed by […]

Manufacturing Innovation Conclave highlights innovative automation and data exchange

Manufacturing Innovation Conclave highlights innovative automation and data exchange

The speakers at the Manufacturing Innovation Conclave. Under the theme ‘Building Capabilities through Collaborations’, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the 9th edition of the Manufacturing Innovation Conclave with the aim to highlight the ongoing trend of innovative automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies which can revolutionise the way businesses are operated and run today.

Big Data plays a significant role in manufacturing sector uncovering new insights to drive innovation enhancing productivity and efficiency gains said by Chief Guest Prof Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Department of Science & Technology, government of India. He added that data is the key to […]

UNHCR: 70m persons displaced globally by war, violence

UNHCR: 70m persons displaced globally by war, violence

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Filippo Grandi, has said over 70 million people have globally been displaced by war, violence, sometimes combined with poverty or climate change.

Grandi, who spoke at a special forum at the ongoing 108 session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, noted that as a result of their displacement, such persons have become fundamentally and often excluded from the transformations that others benefit from in the world of work.

Labour experts participating in the 108th session of the International Labour Conference have said advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence, automation and […]

Automation is remaking Mississippi jobs: Are workers ready?

Automation is remaking Mississippi jobs: Are workers ready?

A high school student repairs a car in an automotive shop class. Jobs in automotive body repair are relatively safe from automation, and they don’t require a college degree. Editor’s note: This story led off this week’s Mississippi Learning newsletter, which is delivered free to subscribers’ inboxes with trends and top stories about education in Mississippi. Subscribe today!

Rising use of automated technologies has eliminated thousands of jobs in Mississippi, and many more are at risk, according to a recent report by the Brookings Institution. The report looked at the percentage of tasks — that is, what people actually […]

The high school diploma isn’t what it used to be

The high school diploma isn’t what it used to be

About 3.6 million students graduated from high school this year. Completing K-12 is an accomplishment worth noting, but those diplomas are losing value when it comes to finding a good job.*

Not that long ago, individuals with a high school degree, or even less education, could count on a decent job in manufacturing. However, a new report by Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce in partnership with JPMorgan Chase finds that those days are over.

“The glory days of American manufacturing in the 1970s—when workers with a high school diploma or less held 79 percent of the industry’s jobs—will […]

Nature of work is changing so should your skills

Nature of work is changing so should your skills

Students of Viva College in Jinja showcase a prototype of a bridge they made during their science fair last year. FILE PHOTO We are yet to experience the 4th Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 as it is otherwise known and although it will create jobs for all, it is time for everyone to upgrade their skills sets if they are to fit in, writes Avron Herr .

Today, there are concerns that the relationship between people good at Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) jobs and those who are not is under strain as structural change once again disrupts employment […]

Volvo’s autonomous trucks just picked up their first real-world job

Volvo’s Vera electric self-driving trucks are headed to public roads with their first proper job, with the autonomous haulers set to shuttle containers to a Swedish port. Revealed in 2018, Vera is the handiwork of the Volvo Trucks division, a driverless alternative to traditional trucks for short distances of travel.

Now, it’s time for Vera to show what it can do. The automaker has partnered up with DFDS, with the ferry and logistics company set to use the self-driving truck to transport goods from one of its facilities in Gothenburg, Sweden, to an APM Terminals port.

Several of the trucks will […]

The case for taxing robots — or not

The case for taxing robots — or not

Should your Roomba need a W-2?

Probably not, but it’s an amusing thought when debating the more serious topic of whether or not a robot should have to pay taxes — and how to do it.

During the June MIT Technology Review EmTech Next event, two experts argued both sides of the question before an audience at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ryan Abbott , professor of law and health sciences at the University of Surrey, argued in favor of taxing robots, while Ryan Avent , economics columnist for The Economist, argued against the idea. Both agreed there needs […]

What automation means for gender gap

What automation means for gender gap

Recent trends, and the broader history of technological change, indicate that automation will usher in major shifts in labour markets over the next decade, displacing millions of workers but also creating millions of new jobs that require new skills. The McKinsey Global Institute, having documented these changes for several years, has produced a new report examining how automation might affect men and women differently. A key conclusion of the study is that persistent gender disparities in the workplace, as documented in a previous MGI report, will make it more difficult for women than for men to adapt to the […]

The Evolution of Work in Urban Labor Markets

The Evolution of Work in Urban Labor Markets

The Google logo adorns the outside of their New York City office, June 3, 2019. Over the past four decades, wage inequality in the U.S. has grown remarkably, with the earnings of the most educated increasing and the earnings of the least educated falling in real terms. But that’s not the whole story. The polarization of employment by educational attainment has been accompanied by—and is likely the result of—a less widely recognized polarization of jobs across regions.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist David Autor gave an interesting keynote address on this topic at the annual conference of MIT’s Initiative on […]