Tag: consumer

Why international trade matters for Illinois

Why international trade matters for Illinois

Illinois will need more foreign investment, and major reforms to the state’s business climate, in order to get off the weak economic path it now treads.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has just returned from an eight-day trip to Japan and China – his administration’s first international trade mission.

Illinoisans should hope the governor can help bring international job creators and investment to the state to stimulate a lackluster employment picture. Rather than being a burden on Illinois families, international trade has largely served as a blessing, and has the potential to jumpstart the Land of Lincoln’s sluggish growth. State of the state […]

Education reform: Why role of regulator, service provider and policy maker must be separated

Education reform: Why role of regulator, service provider and policy maker must be separated

The massive regulatory cholesterol in higher education was justified saying “there are not enough colleges”, “not everybody can afford private colleges”, “it is very hard to measure the quality of a college”, and “consumer choice is often restricted by geography”. (PTI) Government regulations are justified in the name of creating public goods (assets where private sector animal spirits alone are not enough), controlling externalities (reducing costs imposed by somebody on everybody), reducing information asymmetry (protecting uninformed consumers) and ending monopolies (giving consumers choice). The massive regulatory cholesterol in higher education was justified saying “there are not enough colleges”, “not […]

The impact of technology on the job market

The impact of technology on the job market

Modern technology reminds me of the old Clint Eastwood movie, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly. Here we have some of the best things happening to mankind because of technology, and at the same time, we are seeing some of the worst things happening because of it.

From awesome breakthroughs in medicine to ransomware holding organizations hostage so that hackers can make off with millions of dollars in ransom money, sometimes it can be hard for us to really judge one way or another how good technology is for us.

Therefore, if someone were to ask how serious of an impact […]

Is the Old Sourcing Model Dead?

Is the Old Sourcing Model Dead?

A textile factory | Source: Shutterstock LONDON, United Kingdom — The fear that robots will one day take our jobs is almost palpable across many industries today. Fashion is no different, with technology set to shift the current apparel sourcing model to such an extent that the supply chain as we know it may soon cease to exist.

On the one hand, the so-called “march of the machines” puts a staggering 231 million jobs at risk across 50 countries for manufacturing as a whole, according to the McKinsey Global Institute. But on the other hand, it allows an industry to […]

Rye study says automation may put you out of a job

Rye study says automation may put you out of a job

According to a new report by Ryerson’s Brookfield Institute, as businesses use technologies that outpace human effort and ability, workers will need more training and education to catch up to new job expectations. This will mean a person who wants to meet the job market’s demands will have to supply new skills.

Automation increases competition in so many fields that it has reduced demand for labour, leading to an “oversupply of university grads” said Creig Lamb, a policy advisor and author of “Future-Proof: Preparing Young Canadians for the Future of Work.”

His research found Canadian youth are three times more likely […]

Digital skills needed in high-tech factories

Digital skills needed in high-tech factories

Infineon employees inputting jobs on an automated guided vehicle. The introduction of new workflow, technology and robotics requires new skill sets in troubleshooting and operating a variety of man-machine interfaces, said senior director of communications David Ong. Mr James Khoo has had his work cut out for him lately.

The hiring executive at Ultra Clean Asia Pacific is rushing to fill about 30 positions, mostly related to assembling machine parts or troubleshooting systems.

"Currently, we’re expanding. We have a lot of prospects coming up, and we need people who are qualified to take up the roles, especially technicians," said Mr Khoo.DISCOVER […]

As Amazon pushes forward with robots, workers find new roles

As Amazon pushes forward with robots, workers find new roles

Nissa Scott started working at the cavernous Amazon warehouse in southern New Jersey late last year, stacking plastic bins the size of small ottomans. It was not, she says, the most stimulating activity. And lifting the bins, which often weigh 25 pounds each, was also tiring over 10-hour shifts.

Now Scott, 21, watches her replacement — a giant, bright yellow mechanical arm — do the stacking.

Her new job at Amazon is to baby-sit several robots at a time, troubleshooting them when necessary and making sure they have bins to load.On a recent afternoon, a claw at end of the arm […]

As Amazon pushed forward with robots, workers find new roles

As Amazon pushed forward with robots, workers find new roles

FLORENCE: Nissa Scott started working at the cavernous Amazon warehouse in southern New Jersey late last year, stacking plastic bins the size of small ottomans. It was not, she says, the most stimulating activity. And lifting the bins, which often weigh 25 pounds each, was also tiring over 10-hour shifts.

Now Scott, 21, watches her replacement — a giant, bright yellow mechanical arm — do the stacking.

Her new job at Amazon is to baby-sit several robots at a time, troubleshooting them when necessary and making sure they have bins to load. On a recent afternoon, a claw at end of […]

As Amazon Pushes Forward With Robots, Workers Find New Roles

As Amazon Pushes Forward With Robots, Workers Find New Roles

FLORENCE, N.J. — Nissa Scott started working at the cavernous Amazon warehouse in southern New Jersey late last year, stacking plastic bins the size of small ottomans. It was not, she says, the most stimulating activity. And lifting the bins, which often weigh 25 pounds each, was also tiring over 10-hour shifts.

Now Ms. Scott, 21, watches her replacement — a giant, bright yellow mechanical arm — do the stacking.

Her new job at Amazon is to babysit several robots at a time, troubleshooting them when necessary and making sure they have bins to load. On a recent afternoon, a claw […]

Employment in age of data

My objection to universal basic income (UBI) is that it misunderstands the nature of the problem of employment in the age of automation and data. I agree that there is reason to be alarmed that we may face a future when there are no jobs for people who want jobs and historically were able to find jobs. My with the UBI solution is that the real problem is the lack of jobs instead of the lack of income. Income without a job does not address the fundamental problem of loss of work. The primary benefit of work is the […]