Innovation and inventions have been part of the growth evolution of the Homo Sapiens . A century ago the biggest every discoveries were possibly fire, the wheel and levers. The inquisitive human mind is always in the quest to learn, and pave new paths.
Technology is part of our life today, be it the car we drive to work, the computer we use, the machines that produce goods in our shop floors have only contributed positively to reduce the manual effort in each activity we do. Machines, tools, technology, robots, etc. have only reduced the intervention of human labor and improved productivity.
Today our factories use far less human resources to manufacture same quantity of products as compared to a couple of decades ago. Thanks to the innovative and modern automated system which can do repetitive jobs effectively, to the specification and possible accurate every time. These machines don't complain, can be operated without a break (unless broken), can get things done quicker and most importantly can produce an output at a cheaper cost. Most offices don't have administrative staff or have reduced drastically, as people are expected to type in their own letter, print, scan and fax their document. Emails have replaced letters, physical paper file cabinets have disappeared with the scanners files, external hard drives or cloud storage. Billing, payments, payrolls have been automated and we are encouraged to go online to review the payments and transactions.
What does all this mean? Decades ago we were able to employ people to get many things done. Human intervention was essential to get things done. This was possibly slower and error prone. However we were able to provide people with jobs. More people were able to work and earn a living for themselves and their families. The world population has crossed the 7 Billion marks and in the next 10 years it is likely to cross the 8 Billion mark. Some interesting stats can be see in http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
According to a report by ILO in 2012, "The world faces the “urgent challenge” of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade in order to generate sustainable growth and maintain social cohesion". The following report is certainly worth a read - http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_171700/lang--en/index.htm
The following two analysis shows unemployment rates and idle hands
One could argue stating the skill sets don't match with the jobs that are around. However is it practically feasible to have everyone in the world, to be a college graduate with advanced degrees. Even if this was true, can we generate all the jobs to meet the increasing population and the youth who is looking for a job. In most countries people are still working well into their 70s and the life expectancy has increased. Hence are we able to accommodate or provide an opportunity for the fresh graduate or with lesser experience.
Technology and innovation has certainly brought wonders and made lives simpler. However the question is at what cost? Are we able to provide a path for people to earn their living? Can we have people pay for the services and products that is being produced / provided? Can we strike a balance between efficiency, lowering cost, profitability and employment?
I certainly cannot think of a smooth sailing path for this with the current situation. Would love to hear from individuals who echo with this problem and feel there can a brighter future.
Technology is part of our life today, be it the car we drive to work, the computer we use, the machines that produce goods in our shop floors have only contributed positively to reduce the manual effort in each activity we do. Machines, tools, technology, robots, etc. have only reduced the intervention of human labor and improved productivity.
Today our factories use far less human resources to manufacture same quantity of products as compared to a couple of decades ago. Thanks to the innovative and modern automated system which can do repetitive jobs effectively, to the specification and possible accurate every time. These machines don't complain, can be operated without a break (unless broken), can get things done quicker and most importantly can produce an output at a cheaper cost. Most offices don't have administrative staff or have reduced drastically, as people are expected to type in their own letter, print, scan and fax their document. Emails have replaced letters, physical paper file cabinets have disappeared with the scanners files, external hard drives or cloud storage. Billing, payments, payrolls have been automated and we are encouraged to go online to review the payments and transactions.
What does all this mean? Decades ago we were able to employ people to get many things done. Human intervention was essential to get things done. This was possibly slower and error prone. However we were able to provide people with jobs. More people were able to work and earn a living for themselves and their families. The world population has crossed the 7 Billion marks and in the next 10 years it is likely to cross the 8 Billion mark. Some interesting stats can be see in http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/
According to a report by ILO in 2012, "The world faces the “urgent challenge” of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade in order to generate sustainable growth and maintain social cohesion". The following report is certainly worth a read - http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_171700/lang--en/index.htm
The following two analysis shows unemployment rates and idle hands
Technology and innovation has certainly brought wonders and made lives simpler. However the question is at what cost? Are we able to provide a path for people to earn their living? Can we have people pay for the services and products that is being produced / provided? Can we strike a balance between efficiency, lowering cost, profitability and employment?
I certainly cannot think of a smooth sailing path for this with the current situation. Would love to hear from individuals who echo with this problem and feel there can a brighter future.
