Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

A savvy plan for the Trump era

A savvy plan for the Trump era

ZEELAND, Mich. — The Trump administration has a vision for U.S. manufacturers: It wants them to rely less on overseas factories and to hire and train more American workers.

Easier said than done? Well, Michigan mirror-maker Gentex Inc. offers a glimpse of what the future might look like in the Trump era. The supplier has figured out a way to move production from overseas to the American Midwest — and things are working out just fine.

In recent years, Gentex closed its two foreign plants in low-wage Mexico and China and consolidated all production into a single factory complex in western […]

Making the Machines that Replace Humans

Making the Machines that Replace Humans

A Yaskawa robot at a trade fair in Germany MIAMISBURG, Ohio—A humanoid robot greets visitors to the Dayton-area offices of Yaskawa Motoman, a Japanese company that produces the machines being installed at thousands of factories around the globe. Its right arm is holding a screen, which playfully challenges visitors to compete with the robot in a manual task: tracing the word YASKAWA as quickly as possible.

It’s a trick, of course: The robot always wins. On the multiple times I tried, I never beat the robot, and lost in both accuracy and speed by large margins. The robot could complete, […]

Workers fear automation more than immigration, survey finds

Workers fear automation more than immigration, survey finds

Workers are more worried about losing their jobs to machines or because of the falling value of the pound than immigration, a report has said.

A survey of 1,600 adults found other concerns included outsourcing of work, the impact of Brexit on employment and automation.

Jobs site Indeed said its research also showed that fewer than one in three workers believe that leaving the EU will boost employment.Almost a third of workers said immigration had a positive impact on their job, while around half said Brexit had a negative impact.Mariano Mamertino of Indeed said: "Workers have identified the threat of automation, […]

Up to 7.5 mn retail jobs in US at risk due to automation

Up to 7.5 mn retail jobs in US at risk due to automation

Courtesy: IRRC Institute About 6-7.5 million retail jobs in the US are likely to be automated out of existence in the coming years, leaving a large portion of the retail workforce, mostly women and working poor, at risk of becoming ‘stranded workers’, says a recent report . Retail cashiers are at highest risk for automation technologies, and women hold 73 per cent of these positions.

Some 16 million Americans are employed in retail, which represents 10 per cent of the nation’s working population and generates 6 per cent of US gross domestic product (GDP). A lack of disclosure on key […]

Value of the Pound a Big Worry to UK Workers

Value of the Pound a Big Worry to UK Workers

New research shows UK workers are now more worried about losing their jobs to machines or due to the falling value of the pound, than immigration and globalisation, according to new findings from Indeed , the world’s largest job site.

The Indeed Employment Election 2017 study details the changes workers feel most threaten job security in the UK.

Top 6 threats ranked by UK workers in the order of importance:1. The falling value of the pound 2. Automation 3. Outsourcing 4. Brexit 5. Globalisation 6. Immigration 7. Changes to the benefits systemDespite immigration policies taking centre ground in the lead up […]

On Mark Zuckerberg and the merits of univeral basic income

Here is what Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg told graduating Harvard students about jobs, technology, and “a new social contract” (via Business Insider ): You’re graduating at a time when this is especially important. When our parents graduated, purpose reliably came from your job, your church, your community. But today, technology and automation are eliminating many jobs. … Our generation will have to deal with tens of millions of jobs replaced by automation like self-driving cars and trucks. … Every generation expands its definition of equality. Previous generations fought for the vote and civil rights. They had the New Deal […]

The new economy is coming

Late May is college commencement speech season, and there are always one or two destined to cause upset. This year, add to the list the Harvard commencement speech given last Thursday by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his call for "universal basic income," which is a fancy way of describing a kind of Social Security for all. As might be expected, the tech pioneer was lambasted on such social media platforms as Facebook (which he no doubt appreciated) by conservatives who see UBI as a doubling down on welfare, as well as some liberals who instinctively distrust an idea […]

Workers fear automation more than immigration, survey finds

Workers fear automation more than immigration, survey finds

Workers are more worried about losing their jobs to machines or because of the falling value of the pound than immigration, a report has said. A survey of 1,600 adults found other concerns included outsourcing of work, the impact of Brexit on employment and automation.

Jobs site Indeed said its research also showed that fewer than one in three workers believe that leaving the EU will boost employment.

Almost a third of workers said immigration had a positive impact on their job, while around half said Brexit had a negative impact.Mariano Mamertino of Indeed said: "Workers have identified the threat of […]

Will AI Enhance Jobs, or Destroy Them?

Will AI Enhance Jobs, or Destroy Them?

Technology has long been seen as a threat to jobs. But when employees were asked about it, they disagreed with long held assumptions. Here’s why. May 25, 2017 – For all the fear that artificial intelligence will displace workers, a new report has shown that high numbers of employees believe it will actually help rather than hurt their future prospects. Forty eight percent of U.K. business leaders surveyed for the study said that AI is likely to benefit them by bringing more flexibility to their work.

The staffing firm Adecco polled more than 1,000 board and senior level employees for […]

Mark Zuckerberg called for exploring universal basic income in his Harvard graduation speech. Here’s what that means.

Mark Zuckerberg called for exploring universal basic income in his Harvard graduation speech. Here’s what that means.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg greets graduating Harvard students as he walks in a procession though Harvard Yard at the start of commencement exercises Thursday. Mark Zuckerberg floated a number of political reforms during his Harvard commencement speech Thursday.

Online voting. Personalized learning. Student loan relief. Higher taxes on the wealthy.

But of all the ideas he suggested, perhaps none were as radical or surprising as a thing called “universal basic income.”Zuckerberg said he never would’ve founded Facebook if not for his relative financial security, something other potential entrepreneurs may not enjoy.“We should have a society that measures progress not just by […]