Friday, October 28, 2011
Jobs in America: A Paradox?
The job crisis in America is becoming worse and worse. It started with outsourcing jobs to foreign countries, but technology has been replacing jobs in every sector of the United States for many years also. This means that America can be making more products but Americans aren't the ones doing it, machines are. Technology also promotes longevity in life and a growing population. So if more people are living in the United States, and technology is replacing human labor, doesn't it seem obvious why no one can find work (this is of course along with other factors we see on the news everyday)? As big business tries to maintain profits and cut costs, human labor is slowly becoming obsolete while inflation and cost of living continues to rise. This means that technology has the potential to replace every aspect of our lives (even to possibly make a presidential decision based on algorithms and probability). If this happens, and it appears that it could, how are humans suppose to make a living if no one is working?
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Technology is not just replacing human labor, but it is also changing/controlling how we do it. At the pharmacy where I work, Kroger has begun using an Electronic Labor Management System that decides how many techs and pharmacists are needed at any given time. Managers who follow the electronic recommendations most closely are given bigger bonuses at the end of the year. So, if you have a long wait or, even worse, a rushed pharmacist makes a mistake and gives you the wrong thing, you can now blame the computers.
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