Technology, Not Outsourcing Is The Biggest Threat To Jobs
Consulting group Strategy Analytics’ study points to technology creep as a bigger threat to jobs than outsourcing:
The first wave of job-killing technology occurred in manufacturing in the 1990s, when computer-driven robotics introduced across industries from automaking to steel made it possible to produce more product with fewer people, Strategy Analytics said in a recent analysis of emerging technologies.
In the second wave, workers in customer service, help desk, directory assistance, and other support activities in businesses will be replaced by computers that have enough intelligence to handle repetitive tasks that occur during human interaction.
In the manufacturing sector in the 90s, companies sold $100 billion worth of software and hardware for robotics, said Harvey Cohen, president of Strategy Analytics. While the technology increased productivity and added to companies’ bottom lines, it also eliminated 10 million jobs worldwide.
I wonder if, by implication, we’ll be able to harness this power at our desks to enable small/home businesses to do more. Suddenly, being a small business doesn’t seem so small anymore.