Computers Taking Our Jobs
How automation is changing the employment landscape and what to expect from now until 2014
Computers are the wonder of modern times; making life easier from automated banking to shopping online. However, computers are also making many human jobs redundant.
The wonder of the digital age - it has enabled us to do so many things, and has paved the way for technological advancement in medicine, sciences and education. Who would have thought that you could purchase a widget from a seller in Singapore in just a few seconds, or that you could conduct your banking with an automated teller? Computer technology changes daily, and so do the number of jobs that are affected my our ever-increasing automated society.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently published a report that offers real evidence of how the computer age is affecting our employment landscape, not just in the USA but around the world.
Think about it: when is the last time you call a major company or government office and didn't get an automated voice discussing your options? In the past month, how many times have you used your credit card online? Furthermore, did you ever speak with a human order clerk or customer service representative or was the entire process automated? How about the gas station - I used an automated gas service for the first time a few days ago and never set foot in the store. I inserted my credit card, pumped my gas, and the meter machine spit out a receipt.
From the Labor Report, I chose a list of occupations that I thought would be most relatable to readers. The percentage beside each job represents the forecasted drop in this occupation from 2004-2014. Clearly, in all of these occupation fields, the trend is toward complete computer automation and therefore, these positions will eventually become redundant in many industry sectors.
*Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections
I am not implying that the computer age is not a good thing. I make my living online so I am the last one to knock technical advances. However, if you are employed in a position that is similar to the ones notes above, you may want to consider a career change. As more and more of our daily functions become automated, an increasing number of jobs will be affected by an automated society.
Indeed, many argue that this increases the number of computer technician positions and this is most probably accurate. However, as the automation process grows and becomes more sophisticated, it is also logical to assume that the number of computer operators and technicians will decrease as well. Just some food for thought...
