Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Job-stealing robots — a growing concern

Over the last decade open markets and global trade have been blamed for job losses in the developed world. But the global Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) say the real culprits are increasingly the machines that are being increasingly introduced to the industries. And while business leaders gathered at the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland relishing the productivity gains that technology can bring, they also warned that the collateral damage to jobs needs to be addressed more seriously. From taxi drivers to healthcare professionals, technologies such as robotics, driverless cars, artificial intelligence and 3-D printing mean more […]

6 Vital HR Automation Trends

6 Vital HR Automation Trends

In the book Strategic Human Resource Management (Cambridge 2012), authors Wayne Cascio and John Boudreau argue for what they call a "values-based approach" to developing organizational strategy, which "begins with a set of values that are emerging and capable of unlocking people’s human potential — values such as fun, fairness, challenge, trust, respect, community and family."

Technologies such as social media, wearables and game-based learning readily tap into those natural human tendencies, as people seek out settings where fun, trust, respect and challenge are integrated with an organization’s objectives. As such, a number of trends in HR automation are expected […]

Tech Tent: Winners and losers in the ‘gig’ economy

Tech Tent: Winners and losers in the 'gig' economy

Stream the latest Tech Tent episode on the BBC website On this week’s Tech Tent we address one of the key questions of the era – what is new technology doing to jobs? We also look at the hunt for better batteries and find out about the latest technology in the toy industry. No, Uber isn’t wiping out taxi drivers

"Does the expansion of the ‘sharing economy’ spell the end of traditional jobs?" That’s the unusually catchy introduction for an academic paper on the effect of Uber on jobs and wages. Protests from established taxi drivers have greeted Uber’s […]

To Fix Employment, Fix Automation–The Real Job Killer Of Our Age

To Fix Employment, Fix Automation–The Real Job Killer Of Our Age

President Trump likes to blame trade, immigration, and overregulation for job losses in the American heartland. But that’s generally not how economists see it. They say machines are a more important reason why companies don’t employ people like they used to. In several industries, like steel, industrial output is as high as it’s always been. It’s just that manufacturers need less labor to do the work. “Almost 88% of job losses in manufacturing in recent years can be attributable to productivity growth,” one recent study by economists at Ball State University said.
If it’s true that automation is more […]

The future of American jobs lies with the tech industry

The future of American jobs lies with the tech industry

When Donald Trump won the election, many in Silicon Valley were flummoxed: “How could a bigoted billionaire with no government experience and a twitchy Twitter trigger finger win the U.S. presidential election?” they asked themselves.

Liberal outlets have tried to make sense of the massive divide between “our” (upper-class liberals working in tech) vision of the country and “their” (blue-collar workers) vision of the country. We are facing a collective identity crisis, living in a “ post-truth ” world, utterly perplexed as to how a person so at odds with our Bay Area politics could win the most important […]

Many Fear Automation Will Wipe Out Jobs. But Automating Buildings Will Be a Jobs Creator

Many Fear Automation Will Wipe Out Jobs. But Automating Buildings Will Be a Jobs Creator

Amazon’s launch of its “Go” store — essentially a grocery with no cashiers — has fueled a debate about how automation will destroy jobs.

There are 3.4 million workers with some variant of the title “cashier” in America, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, making it one of the most common jobs in the country. But Amazon’s store eliminates this role. And soon, automated taxis, stores and restaurants could wipe out many millions of similar jobs across the service sector.

Experts are increasingly grappling with what technology, automation and artificial intelligence mean for the average worker. But it’s not […]

Manufacturing jobs are finally returning to North America…for robots

Manufacturing jobs are finally returning to North America…for robots

Amazon fulfillment centres use robots for a growing number of tasks. (Brandon Bailey/AP) Let’s start with the good news: manufacturing is returning to North America. It is called “re-shoring” and is happening for several reasons. Chief among these is that labour costs in Canada and the United States are becoming relatively more competitive as the Chinese economy soared and wages there gradually caught up to more developed economies. But there are other factors at play here, too.

In North America, corporate tax rates have become more globally competitive, as has the cost of energy. Land is also far cheaper in […]

Does Automation Really Wreck People’s Lives and Cause Unemployment?

Does Automation Really Wreck People’s Lives and Cause Unemployment?

There seems to be a lot of fear mongering, especially in the UK, when it comes to automation and the role it plays in causing unemployment, despite evidence that suggests the contrary. Throughout the ages, as humanity evolved, so has the technology and now advancements from the automation industry are helping people work better, faster and in safer conditions, as many jobs that are dangerous can now be performed by robots . However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that by embracing the benefits of automation, employees’ jobs will be at risk and millions of jobs will disappear.

Instead, what’s been happening […]

Work in an automated future

Disruptive technologies are now dictating our future, as new innovations increasingly blur the lines between physical, digital and biological realms. Robots are already in our operating rooms and fast-food restaurants; we can now use 3D imaging and stem-cell extraction to grow human bones from a patient’s own cells; and 3D printing is creating a circular economy in which we can use and then reuse raw materials.

This tsunami of technological innovation will continue to change profoundly how we live and work, and how our societies operate. In what is now called the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technologies that are coming of […]

To Fix Employment, Fix Automation–The Real Job Killer Of Our Age

President Trump likes to blame trade, immigration, and over-regulation for job losses in the American heartland. But that’s generally not how economists see it. They say machines are a more important reason why companies don’t employ people like they used to. In several industries, like steel, industrial output is as high as it’s always been. It’s just that manufacturers need less labor to do the work. “Almost 88 percent of job losses in manufacturing in recent years can be attributable to productivity growth,” one recent study by economists at Ball State University said.

If it’s true that automation is more […]