Are we, as a nation, contributing to the jobless crisis by wanting more and more convenience? In the quest for instant service, technology is becoming an essential part of our lives. We don’t want to stand in line at the grocery store, the bank, the gas station or just about anywhere else. We have lost the customer service attitude of the older generation because we are willing to do everything ourselves in order to get it done quickly. In response, the internet and technological improvements have made applications available for our use. We can now book our own trips, including airline and hotel, online without the use of a travel agent. There goes a few travel agent jobs! We have self checkout lines available in most grocery stores. There goes a few grocery store jobs! We can do all our banking, shopping, etc. online without actually having to step into a “bricks and mortar” location. How many jobs are lost in those industries? As the article states, in the past there was the need for actual workers to run and maintain “technology” from that era. Now, with tremendous advances in technology that does not require “manned” attention, the demand for workers is in decline. The global impact of the internet, smart phones, and wireless technology allows companies to service an increasing customer base, without having to boost employment. Research shows that retailers worldwide spend more capital on technology, and thus are able to reduce their workforce further. Technology has outpaced the need for workers and the jobless recovery will be slowed down. So, since technology reduces the number of workers needed to produce the same quantities of goods and services, the economy must grow at an even greater rate in order to create new jobs. And, with the economic slump the U.S. is currently experiencing, the outlook on reducing the jobless rate looks gloomy.
2 comments:
Technology makes life so much easier for us. We always forget that it also has the negative impact on our life. It makes companies need less labor force, and it also makes people get distracted from work. So more and more people get unemployed. Technology is supposed to help economy make the max efficiency. If we don't use it properly, it will make economy worse. Technology is not the only problem that we need to face. Even if the economy created 1000 jobs everyday, numbers of unemployed might still be high. Because some people wouldn't do those really basic level jobs, and not everyone can do those high-tech jobs either. The economy needs to know what kind of jobs that everyone can work their best for economy.
Not only is technological advancements decreasing the demand for work, but it is also making the American people dangerously lazy. Everyday life is composed of so many technologies that make simple tasks even easier. Since everything is easy or convenient, people begin to neglect other values such as physical health. Technology is great to an extent, but when it consumes us and changes the way we should behave then it becomes a destructive and negative part of the economy.
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