Recently I received a mailing from United Airlines which indicated
that I had some miles credit I could use to subscribe to magazines. Since we rarely use United in Dallas and we
only had a few miles, I ordered a subscription to The Economist with its principal commercial office is in London.
The Economist January 18th, 2014, edition had an article entitled “Coming
to an office near you”, on page 9 which got my attention. The article discusses the impact of technology
and automation on the job market. From
my first days at IBM, I remember that we justified the purchase and installation
of computing systems based on increased productivity and reduced labor
costs. This concept is still used today
as organizations consider investments in capital equipment in general and
productivity systems specifically.
What is the impact of such decisions on jobs? As the article describes, many jobs are
eliminated; however, other jobs are created.
There are many questions here; one of which is can the displaced workers
be transferred to the new jobs. My experience
is that some can and cannot. Many are able
to grasp the requirements of the new jobs while others do not have the skills
and desire to be training in new technologies and may become unemployed.
What is the role of government to support those unemployed who are no
longer able to find employment? Will
these unemployed be able to transition to careers that still need their skills
and experience?
You may find this article informative and perhaps somewhat frightening.
Answers to these questions and others are complex. I recommend that you take time to read this
article and share your thoughts with readers of this blog or email me at glynjordan@gmail.com.
Thanks! Glyn
Foot Note: In the 1970's - 1980's operating systems, data base management systems including relational data bases became in wide usage. These systems facilitated the use of data for intelligent decision making -- the true pay-back provided by information systems.
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