Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Robots, not Mexico, taking U.S. factory jobs

Robots, not Mexico, taking U.S. factory jobs

Equipment to sort recycled plastic is shown at the Repreve Bottle Processing Center, part of the Unifi textile company in Reidsville, N.C., Thursday, Oct. 13, 2016. America has lost more than 7 million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory production, minus raw materials and some other costs, more than doubled over the same span to $1.91 trillion last year, according to the Commerce Department, which uses 2009 dollars to adjust for inflation. That’s a notch below the record set on the eve of the Great Recession in 2007. And it makes U.S. manufacturers No. […]

How will artificial intelligence impact on our jobs?

How will artificial intelligence impact on our jobs?

In her fourth article in her series on artificial intelligence, Helen Beers looks at how making machines smart might impact on our jobs and and considers whether it will put anyone out of work as a result.

Catch up on Helen’s previous articles on what artificial intelligence is , the current trends and future developments , and what’s enabling and hindering artificial intelligence .

For centuries, people have been afraid that technology will take their jobs. For example, in the 16 th Century, Elizabeth I believed a machine for knitting stockings would bring ruin to her subjects by […]

Android clone v human: will you be able to tell the difference at work?

Android clone v human: will you be able to tell the difference at work?

Robotics scientist Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro with ‘Geminoid’, a prototype of a doppelganger-type android modelled on himself. Photograph: Evertt Kennedy Brown/epa/Corbis Prof Hiroshi Ishiguro – director, Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Osaka University, Japan, and named one of the top 100 living geniuses by Synetics in 2007 – is a very busy man. So busy, he practically needs a clone to keep up with his work schedule, something many of us have wished for in our own lives.

But Ishiguro created one – a near-perfect mechanical likeness of silicon skin, actuators, electronics and his own hair – which he operates remotely via […]

Half the jobs are going

“The notion that Uber in London is a mosaic of 30,000 small businesses linked by a common “platform” is, to our minds, faintly ridiculous,” said one of the judges on the employment tribunal.

So the tribunal ruled that Uber’s 30,000 drivers in London were actually employees, and therefore entitled to be paid the minimum wage, to be given sick pay, even to have paid holidays.

Uber promptly appealed the ruling, because it would wreck its business model in the United Kingdom and, if the example spreads, worldwide.But it was only a temporary victory for workers’ rights, because just as the real […]

US factories still thriving, but robots mean fewer workers

US factories still thriving, but robots mean fewer workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States.

He might want to bash the robots instead.

Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s charge that "we don’t make anything anymore," manufacturing is still flourishing in America. Problem is, factories don’t need as many people as they used to because machines now do so much of the work.America has lost more than 7 million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory production, minus raw materials and some other costs, more than doubled over the same span to $1.91 trillion last […]

Mexico taking U.S. factory jobs? Blame robots instead

Nov. 2, 2016 – Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States. He might want to bash the robots instead.

Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s charge that “we don’t make anything anymore,” manufacturing is still flourishing in America. Problem is, factories don’t need as many people as they used to because machines now do so much of the work.

America has lost more than 7 million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory production, minus raw materials and some other costs, more than doubled over the same span to $1.91 […]

Mexico stealing factory jobs? Blame automation instead

Mexico stealing factory jobs? Blame automation instead

Employees work on the assembly line at the Volkswagen auto factory in Puebla, Mexico. REUTERS/Imelda Medina WASHINGTON — Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States.

He might want to bash the robots instead.

Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s charge that “we don’t make anything anymore,” manufacturing is still flourishing in America. Problem is, factories don’t need as many people as they used to because machines now do so much of the work . Play Video America has lost more than seven million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory […]

Less Work And More Wealth And Leisure: We Will Have Only Automation To Thank For

Less Work And More Wealth And Leisure: We Will Have Only Automation To Thank For

The higher the productivity is, the higher are the wages. We have to work less in order to stand still, not harder nor longer.

The robots do the heavy work and the algorithms do the brain work: we’ll all go off and do something entirely different – including taking ever more of our greater wealth as leisure.

It was Giles Wilkes , now of the Financial Times , who said that the New Economics Foundation should stand for “Not Economics, Frankly”. And reading today’s Guardian , I could see what he meant.The paper carries an op-ed by Anna Coote , a […]

Mexico taking US factory jobs? Blame robots instead

Mexico taking US factory jobs? Blame robots instead

WASHINGTON – Donald Trump blames Mexico and China for stealing millions of jobs from the United States.

He might want to bash the robots instead.

Despite the Republican presidential nominee’s charge that "we don’t make anything anymore," manufacturing is still flourishing in America. Problem is, factories don’t need as many people as they used to because machines now do so much of the work.America has lost more than 7 million factory jobs since manufacturing employment peaked in 1979. Yet American factory production, minus raw materials and some other costs, more than doubled over the same span to $1.91 trillion last year, […]

Why import workers when robots will do the job?

Why import workers when robots will do the job?

The growth lobby often argues that Australia needs to run high levels of immigration in order to alleviate so-called skills shortages and to mitigate an ageing population.

This view has been debunked many times on this blog.

First, analysis from the Department of Employment shows that Australia’s skills shortage “remains low by historical standards” .Second, there are big question marks over whether immigration can alleviate skills shortages anyway?That is, if Australia imports a whole bunch of workers to alleviate, say, shortages in construction, these workers will inevitably increase demand in other areas (e.g. for various services), thus creating shortages there. Australia […]