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I see that the US is still adding a large number of jobs, but I am genuinely confused because I was under the impression that the vast majority of jobs were being automated. Self-driving cars are becoming more advanced, stores are switching to self-checkout, drones are delivering packages and most manufacturing jobs are already automated. Where exactly are all these jobs being created?
Most of the automation I've seen is brought in because of unfillable jobs. For example In the Maine DOT crew where I work we have automated flagger machines to direct traffic, we didn't fire anyone, we got the machines because it is almost impossible to hire anyone to do the job.
It's cheaper to hire a human and pay them even a whopping $15 an hour to flip burgers, make sandwiches, and clean toilets than it is to build, develop, and implement machines and computers to do that.
But I'll tell you what. Executives that make $250,000 a year to tell all their employees to work harder, and spend their days figure out where to cut costs and which employees to cut, and have 10 weeks of vacation a year?
Take a job off a skilled worker, create another job driving a desk, or watching the machines.
I knew someone, that worked at a bottle factory that had been automated, but after automation, the same workers that had done the work previously, had to be employed to watch the machines. It took the company ages to realize, that the "workers" were "working" 24 hours a day. Good pay for sleeping.
I was a distributor for automation control products and robotics .
We went from a 6 million dollar company and about 12 employees doing motors and pumps and over two decades we grew to 130 million dollars and 320 employees in 4 states expanding in to selling factory automation gear .
Our vendors who we bought from grew by leaps and bounds from us …Siemens opened up an entire office to support us .
We are still hiring warehouse people , drivers ,salesman , engineers etc …there are 55 open job slots right now …
The plants that use our stuff have hired programmers and Maintenance facility people to install and maintain the gear …
Overall we alone created hundreds of jobs.
So one level of jobs was replaced while many more levels were created
sure it is . but it creates more jobs then it takes away
Yet, are those new jobs completely necessary? If not, then I dont see how it creates new jobs. At best it only indirectly may create more demand for something, but nothing guaranteed. If those jobs are necessary for automation to even exist, then you are just paying more labor/middle men.
Yet, are those new jobs completely necessary? If not, then I dont see how it creates new jobs. At best it only indirectly may create more demand for something, but nothing guaranteed. If those jobs are necessary for automation to even exist, then you are just paying more labor/middle men.
Of course those new jobs are necessary….it is like going from a nation of farmers to the industrial revolution where entire industries were created where none existed
Of course those new jobs are necessary….it is like going from a nation of farmers to the industrial revolution where entire industries were created where none existed
Of all the unnecessary jobs, I think our local library takes the cake. Since reopening since the Covid lockdown, we noticed staff peering into our discussion room, where about six of us retired people gather for a couple of hours once a week. Apparently they have to tick off every hour that the the maximum number, eight people, is not exceeded.
What this country is really short of is qualified chefs. So many came from India and that source is only just beginning to restart. You can automate cooking, to some extent, but what about nail artists, hairdressers, all the disability workers. Online learning here was extremely unpopular so teachers are needed. Childcare workers, plumbers, all sorts of tradies. The unemployment rate in our part of Sydney is now less than 1%.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Originally Posted by bson1257
I see that the US is still adding a large number of jobs, but I am genuinely confused because I was under the impression that the vast majority of jobs were being automated. Self-driving cars are becoming more advanced, stores are switching to self-checkout, drones are delivering packages and most manufacturing jobs are already automated. Where exactly are all these jobs being created?
We buy a lot from Amazon and other online businesses, so as many as 3-4 deliveries a day - none from drones. It's an Amazon truck, UPS, or USPS, all of which are hiring. Every fast food restaurant is hiring, despite the automation, they still need humans. There are many jobs in construction that are begging for people, so far no robots are pouring concrete, framing houses, roofing, doing plumbing or electrical. Tech companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon are always hiring, not only to replace people that get poached by a competitor but also for expansion. These companies not only need developers, but they have many other departments such as accounting and finance, real estate, HR, marketing, and logistics.
Of course those new jobs are necessary….it is like going from a nation of farmers to the industrial revolution where entire industries were created where none existed
The company I retired from besides being distributors for factory automation products , is also in the industrial water pump manufacturing business .
They have the pump castings made in a state of the art cnc factory in China ….
No way could humans ever produce the quality , volume and consistency of product that the robotics do
certainly SOME jobs. But not the majority of jobs. And definitely not the VAST majority of jobs.
In the meantime:
1. It takes actual people to design and build the automation equipment. It's a shifting of personnel, not an entire elimination. More people programming robots now - fewer people putting bolts on cars. Net loss of jobs though, to be sure.
2. The population is not stagnant. It's growing - growing - growing - so even if NOTHING ELSE changed - then more restaurants, hotels, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters - all the rest - an increasing number are always needed, because the population is growing (USA) at about 2500 people per day - net gain. (Last two years don't count.) And that 2500 just goes up. In a few years it will be 3000. And so on. It's accelerating.
As far as i know - zero automechanics have been replaced by a robot - but there are more cars than ever right now.
I have seen zero houses in my development built by automation. Plumbing either - but construction is up up up - thus more jobs. It does not mean the job openings show up in trades - nope - because folks more TO a trade from Burger King (they got older) - so the openings appear at the lowest rungs, mainly.
Of course those new jobs are necessary….it is like going from a nation of farmers to the industrial revolution where entire industries were created where none existed
So its not cheaper. It will cost more money for anyone trying to partake. As for any business that is doing small ticket items, they make as well not automate, unless they are confident they are doing huge volume.
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