Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Automation Will Cost Canada Up To 7.5 Million Jobs: Report

Automation Will Cost Canada Up To 7.5 Million Jobs: Report

Canada should consider radical changes to its social safety net as the country faces the loss of up to 7.5 million jobs to automation in the next 10 to 15 years, says a new study from a think tank at the University of Toronto.

Even people in high-income jobs won’t be spared, as automation will reduce the demand for doctors, lawyers and engineers, among others, the study’s authors say. Photo: Fizkes via Getty Images The report, penned by Sunil Johal and Jordann Thirgood of the Mowat Centre at U of T’s School of Public Policy & Governance, says Canada’s social […]

Epic infographic from TradeMachines confirms global takeover by robots

Epic infographic from TradeMachines confirms global takeover by robots

Vintage and pre-owned industrial equipment supplier TradeMachines has produced a massive infographic which provides insights about the impacts of industrial robots on our work life.

Industry 4.0 marks the dawn of a new era for robotics, which are starting to be an integral part of factories, all over the world.

In recent years, robots sales have exponentially increased: in 2015, 1.8 million industrial robots were in operation; that is more than the whole population of Philadelphia.Nowadays, sectors like automotive build most of their working processes on automated systems, as evidenced by the […]

Donald Trump’s victory brings the jobs vs. automation issue into the spotlight

Donald Trump’s victory brings the jobs vs. automation issue into the spotlight

Robots work on Ford F-150 trucks at a factory in Norfolk, Va. The plant was closed in 2007. (Ford Photo) Six months ago, computer scientist Moshe Vardi felt as if he was a voice crying in the wilderness when it came to automation’s anticipated effect on the job market . No political candidate, it seemed, was talking about the potential impact of autonomous cars and automated manufacturing on future employment.

Today, the topic still isn’t quite on President-elect Donald Trump’s radar screen. But his election has gotten a lot more experts talking about the issue.

“It went from being somewhat esoteric […]

Some jobs are going but it’s automation, not free trade, that’s the problem

Some jobs are going but it’s automation, not free trade, that’s the problem

There has been a lot of talk of late – especially fired up due to the US presidential election – over the loss of manufacturing jobs. It is not a new phenomenon, after all Bruce Springsteen was singing in 1984 that “these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back”. And while the blame is easily laid at the feet of trade, figures from the USA show that the bigger reason is automation – and it will not be limited to manufacturing.

One of the problems with Trump’s narrative that free-trade agreements have been the major cause of job […]

Still optimistic about the future of jobs in a bot driven world

Still optimistic about the future of jobs in a bot driven world

Thanks to everyone who contributed to my optimistic discussion about the future of jobs in a bot driven world published earlier this month.

The quality of thinking and the passion of this readership is encouraging. In this article, I’d like to address some of the many thoughtful comments that were left. Before doing so, it’s important to draw attention to some of the underpinnings of my thinking which you can find here and here . They provide both a historical and economic context as to why I am optimistic, despite the many dire predictions that have, in my view, raised […]

How Robots Are Changing Minnesota’s Workforce

How Robots Are Changing Minnesota's Workforce

Photo by Ibrahim Hirsi/MinnPost Baxter, a two-armed robot, has been with Atlas Manufacturing for more than a year, performing tasks that would otherwise require two human operators. Atlas Manufacturing is just one of a growing number of places in Minnesota and across the country where automation is quickly and radically transforming the labor market.

On the main floor of Minneapolis-based Atlas Manufacturing, Baxter is hard at work: She places metal pieces on a giant machine in a process that bends and punches parts before picking up the pieces and carefully arranging them on a nearby counter.

It’s a repetitive task, […]

Trump’s Dismantling of Trade Deals Won’t Bring Most Jobs Back

Trump’s Dismantling of Trade Deals Won’t Bring Most Jobs Back

Trump in Charleston, West Virginia on May 5. Dramatic promises to restrict international trade were a signature element of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. So far, he seems to be following through. On Tuesday, he announced that he will withdraw U.S. participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership as one of his first acts in office.

Trump’s aggressive stance on trade helped him win working-class voters in Midwestern manufacturing states, where upset wins swept him into the White House. As president, Trump will be able to act on trade without approval by Congress. Both the U.S. Constitution and past acts of Congress give […]

Robots – not trade deals – killed factory jobs

Robots - not trade deals - killed factory jobs

Tonawanda Engine Plant Manager Steve Finch, right, says humans have to install, program and maintain the robots, so “it doesn’t mean that because I’ve put a robot in there that I’ve gotten rid of all the jobs.” (News file photo) Donald Trump’s critics fear he will turn back the clock, while backers fervently hope he can. But when it comes to one of his key campaign promises – bringing back manufacturing jobs lost to other countries – they are both missing the point.

Factory workers worried about their jobs as they rack up holiday bills should forget the question of […]

Thomas Friedman: Automation Is Killing Jobs

Thomas Friedman: Automation Is Killing Jobs

The world would be a much better place if the folks who wrote on economic issues at the NYT had at least an intro econ level understanding of economics. But apparently that is too much to expect, so we find Thomas Friedman telling readers:

"The one area where I think Trump is going to have the hardest time delivering on his campaign promises is to create ‘millions’ of good-paying jobs by incentivizing and pressuring American companies to manufacture more in the U.S. He still talks about America as a manufacturing wasteland when, in fact, manufacturing remains the largest sector of […]

Trump’s climate denial is just one of the forces that points towards war

Trump’s climate denial is just one of the forces that points towards war

Illustration by Andrzej Krauze Wave the magic wand and the problem goes away. Those pesky pollution laws, carbon caps and clean-power plans: swish them away and the golden age of blue-collar employment will return. This is Donald Trump’s promise, in his video message on Monday , in which the US president-elect claimed that unleashing coal and fracking would create “many millions of high-paid jobs”. He will tear down everything to make it come true.

But it won’t come true. Even if we ripped the world to pieces in the search for full employment, leaving no mountain unturned, we would not […]