Tag: productivity

New technologies drive job creation despite economic headwinds

New technologies drive job creation despite economic headwinds

Technological advancements have created an estimated net 600,000 jobs in Southeast Asia over the past five years, according to the World Bank’s latest East Asia and Pacific Economic Update.

The report, released during an online conference on Tuesday, reveals that despite concerns over automation-related job losses, the adoption of industrial robots and artificial intelligence (AI) has led to unexpected employment growth in the region. "Between 2018 and 2022, the integration of robotics into manufacturing processes generated approximately 2 million skilled positions in formal employment sectors," said World Bank East Asia and Pacific chief economist Aaditya Mattoo . "While this […]

Lowry: Dockworkers for economic stagnation

Lowry: Dockworkers for economic stagnation

This 2018 photo shows cranes loading and lifting containers at an automated cargo wharf in Qingdao in China’s eastern Shandong province. (Photo STR/AFP via Getty Images) It’s the processing gate that roared.

APM Terminals at the Port of Mobile in Alabama uses a semi-automated gate to process trucks without union labor, and this supposed outrage is one of the reasons the International Longshoremen’s Association went on strike. Never mind that the gate has been in operation for years, and is a more efficient and safer way to check and admit trucks.

The strike, affecting ports on the East Coast and in […]

ILA dockworkers win 62% wage increase, suspend strike until automation threat is resolved

ILA dockworkers win 62% wage increase, suspend strike until automation threat is resolved

Home » U.S. and Canada » ILA dockworkers win 62% wage increase, suspend strike until automation threat is resolved

On the fourth day of the strike that took 45,000 longshore workers off East Coast docks from Maine to Texas, the International Longshoremen’s Association and the bosses agreed on a 62% wage increase over six years, and the union suspended the labor action on Oct.4. It remains to be seen if agreement on other outstanding issues, especially automation, can be reached by Jan. 15, 2025, when the extended Master Contract once again expires. Striking longshore workers with signs defending their […]

AI in the job market necessitates continuous upskilling and reskilling

AI in the job market necessitates continuous upskilling and reskilling

By Aarul Malaviya, Founder, Zamit

The advent of AI has been causing a transformational shift across industries all over the world and this has had a direct impact on the employment market. On the one hand, AI automation leads to improvements in the organisation’s efficiency and productivity, but on the other hand, it creates job disposability and thus requires constant skill upgrades and skill development. This evolution calls for employee and employer readiness to proactively respond to the changes to stay ahead of the curve.

Employment: A review of the current status New jobs for machines and automation […]

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize impact

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize impact

The massive port workers’ strike that has shut down all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. and the Gulf coast is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will be replaced by machines.

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday, is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.

The union is demanding, along with hefty pay raises, a total ban on the automation of gates, cranes and container-moving trucks in its ports. But it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to stave off a trend that […]

Dockworkers Join Other Unions in Trying to Fend off Automation, or Minimize the Impact

NEW YORK (AP) — The massive port workers’ strike that has shut down all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. and the Gulf coast is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will be replaced by machines.

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday , is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.

The union is demanding, along with hefty pay raises, a total ban on the automation of gates, cranes and container-moving trucks in its ports. But it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to […]

Yes, America Should Automate Dock Work

Yes, America Should Automate Dock Work

As the global economy has grown in recent decades, so too have the container ships that transport cargo to and from the world’s ports. They are growing both in numbers and in size . And to keep up with all those containers, ports have introduced advanced automation. In fact, the world’s first fully automated port terminal—the Delta Dedicated North Terminal operated in The Netherlands by Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT)—is now more than 30 years old. ECT has used technologies such as automatic guided vehicles and automatic stacking cranes to whisk containers to and from the port’s quay in […]

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Longshoremen bow for a prayer during a strike at the Bayport Container Terminal on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) By CATHY BUSSEWITZ

AP Business Writer

NEW YORK The massive port workers’ strike that has crippled all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will all be replaced by machines.The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday, is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.The union is demanding, along with hefty pay […]

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

1 Introduction

Sam Sayer worked in factories for years before he ever saw a robot. Now, in a red beard and zombie t-shirt, he’s teaching his colleagues on the factory floor how to use them [ 1 ]. Sayer is one of a growing group of employees at a New Hampshire cutting tool manufacturer who have become champions of the automation transforming their jobs. In recent years, Sayer’s employer has scaled advanced technologies across the company. Robots and advanced machines are distributed throughout their factories, working alongside employees to make them faster and freeing workers up to solve problems […]

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America’s Job Market

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America's Job Market

Representative Image A New Frontier or a Bottleneck? GenAI’s Impact on Latin America’s Job Market

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) promises to reshape industries and economies globally. However, for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, this transformative technology presents a paradox. While it could boost productivity and streamline various sectors, a critical digital divide threatens to leave millions of workers behind. A new report titled Buffer or Bottleneck? Employment Exposure to Generative AI and the Digital Divide in Latin America by the World Bank highlights these contrasting effects, examining the potential for GenAI to either […]