OT: future of jobs or lack thereof

[Dominator83]

While it's a shame that last thread was locked, it's understandable. But a silver lining is, there was a good offseason style discussion brewing about how jobs are rapidly disappearing. Would like to build on that one.

Personally, I've been saying for several years now that while this whole Internet and digital age is nice and all, it's also the worst thing that ever happened to the economy. Sure, it's created some companies and jobs, but it's also wiped out a hell of a lot more than its created imo. Video rental industry? Completely wiped out. Retail stores? Being wiped out unless your target or Walmart. Newspaper industry? Barely hanging on. CD/DVD distribution and businesses? Gone. And those are just a few examples. There's many many more and it ain't gonna get better.

Best things left to get into IMO: medical, teaching, real estate, law enforcement, chef, and skilled trades (mechanic, HVAC, plumbing, etc)

These are pretty Internet safe industries. But not nearly enough to fill an entire population.

[Evil_Headband]

People have been worried about technology stealing jobs for over 100 years. However there are more jobs now than there have ever been before.

[logical_art]

People have been worried about technology stealing jobs for over 100 years. However there are more jobs now than there have ever been before.

Dinosaurs 67 million years ago: "Dinosaurs have been worried about meteors for the past million years. However there's more of us than ever before."

[Hangtime84]

Jobs to me are becoming more specialized.

I don't think colleges will be able to keep up with the demand for those types of jobs.

However, we will always need salespeople, marketers, and business development types.

[Evil_Headband]

People have been worried about technology stealing jobs for over 100 years. However there are more jobs now than there have ever been before.

Dinosaurs 67 million years ago: "Dinosaurs have been worried about meteors for the past million years. However there's more of us than ever before."

Well, the average dinosaur didn't need to worry about meteors. He may have been eaten by a T-Rex millions of years before it hit.

Joking aside, my point isn't that things can never change. In fact, the opposite. Things are always changing. In the future there will likely be a trend for people to work less (and many not at all) as productivity and automation make things easier. Not because they couldn't but because they don't need to. Frankly, that will be a good thing as long as society figures out how to care for the welfare of the non-working.

There is no doubt a lot of jobs we know today won't be around in the future. But they can be replaced by jobs that we can't even imagine. Think of all the new jobs that exist today that couldn't have been imagined by most people even 50 years ago.

[PaKii94]

I'm fine with the automation/robotics takeover. It'll push towards a overall smarter society which can focus on more specialized things. People waste away their lives working mundane jobs. This was inevitable

[rtblues]

That same technology creates new industries and jobs. It's a matter of education and re-training with an emphasis on new-tech jobs that will be available. The demand for such workers will exceed the supply initially, but there's really no looking back anymore.

Except for the Luddites out there who think bringing back fossil fuels is a good idea. Oh, right, that's being implemented now by
the current administration. But, I'm afraid that's a topic for another day, and likely another board. Sorry for sneaking that in here.
P.S. Not really sorry

[League Circles]

While it's a shame that last thread was locked, it's understandable. But a silver lining is, there was a good offseason style discussion brewing about how jobs are rapidly disappearing. Would like to build on that one.

Personally, I've been saying for several years now that while this whole Internet and digital age is nice and all, it's also the worst thing that ever happened to the economy. Sure, it's created some companies and jobs, but it's also wiped out a hell of a lot more than its created imo. Video rental industry? Completely wiped out. Retail stores? Being wiped out unless your target or Walmart. Newspaper industry? Barely hanging on. CD/DVD distribution and businesses? Gone. And those are just a few examples. There's many many more and it ain't gonna get better.

Best things left to get into IMO: medical, teaching, real estate, law enforcement, chef, and skilled trades (mechanic, HVAC, plumbing, etc)

These are pretty Internet safe industries. But not nearly enough to fill an entire population.

I think economic progress and position should be measured more by the LACK of jobs and work to do than by the presence of them.

Essentially, jobs are bad. Obviously they are necessary for individuals in our current system, but the goal for society should be to do less work, not more.

It blows my mind that we don't have any politicians campaigning on a platform of trying to systematically reduce the standard work week from 40 hours to somewhere in the 28 to 35 range. Blows my mind.

[League Circles]

I'm undisciplined with regards to spending, saving and investing myself, but nonetheless I'd highly, highly recommend to everyone to save and invest as much as you can. You are likely to live decades longer than you think, and quite likely to be economically unproductive for the vast majority of it. Nothing from the economic experience of the last couple generations should really guide us.

Most of us just burn through money on poor choices, myself included. It will be a catastrophe for us and is likely to result in desperation on wide scales.

[ATRAIN53]

Best things left to get into IMO: medical, teaching, real estate, law enforcement, chef, and skilled trades (mechanic, HVAC, plumbing, etc)

not Teaching if you want to make any $$$

Big Pharma and Construction are huge too. I am def that parent who is gonna try to steer my kid into learning a skilled trade. Construction downtown is just booming and the call for skilled union guys is huge.

also Salesforce - developers are getting PAID - I'm trying to work on my certification and find one of those gigs.....

[coldfish]

Imagine being a farmer in the 1800's. We went from 83% of the population as farmers in 1800 to less than 2% today.

The issue isn't the technological revolution. The issue is the lack of competition making it so that businesses aren't forced to pass their productivity gains on to consumers. If they did, then prices would be lower, profit would be lower and consumers would have money to spend on other things, which would employ people.

[Ctownbulls]

While it's a shame that last thread was locked, it's understandable. But a silver lining is, there was a good offseason style discussion brewing about how jobs are rapidly disappearing. Would like to build on that one.

Personally, I've been saying for several years now that while this whole Internet and digital age is nice and all, it's also the worst thing that ever happened to the economy. Sure, it's created some companies and jobs, but it's also wiped out a hell of a lot more than its created imo. Video rental industry? Completely wiped out. Retail stores? Being wiped out unless your target or Walmart. Newspaper industry? Barely hanging on. CD/DVD distribution and businesses? Gone. And those are just a few examples. There's many many more and it ain't gonna get better.

Best things left to get into IMO: medical, teaching, real estate, law enforcement, chef, and skilled trades (mechanic, HVAC, plumbing, etc)

These are pretty Internet safe industries. But not nearly enough to fill an entire population.

By the way, real estate and medicine will get automated at some point too. Real estate sooner rather than later. Finance is a good industry still but will be automated too.

But the industries that you mentioned that are whipped out deserve to be. They got replaced with better alternatives. It technological evolution and it is nothing new in the grand scheme of existence. I am sure the people who sold horse and buggies were pretty upset when cars became mainstream. Or locomotive and commercial ship operators when airplanes became safe.

[CBS7]

If it ever gets to that point universal basic income will be a thing.

Also you left IT industry off your list. As we rely more and more on technology/the internet, there is a whole lot more maintainence to be done on it.

[DASMACKDOWN]

I'm fine with the automation/robotics takeover. It'll push towards a overall smarter society which can focus on more specialized things. People waste away their lives working mundane jobs. This was inevitable

I agree but I also think the advancement of technology will cause society to be even more mundane.

Basically every industry can be automated. Maybe not all of them in 2018, but it could down the line. The middle class to lower class economy sector will feel it the most in a few years.

[League Circles]

Imagine being a farmer in the 1800's. We went from 83% of the population as farmers in 1800 to less than 2% today.

The issue isn't the technological revolution. The issue is the lack of competition making it so that businesses aren't forced to pass their productivity gains on to consumers. If they did, then prices would be lower, profit would be lower and consumers would have money to spend on other things, which would employ people.

Other than telcom maybe (just gusssing), what makes you say there is a lack of competition in society? At some point margins are too low to incentivize new capital into an industry. And many of the most profitable industries are among the most volatile I think, so margins have to be high to assure decent chance at operating profits.

[ImSlower]

Luckily for me, the world will still need good bartenders for a long time!

[Hangtime84]

Luckily for me, the world will still need good bartenders for a long time!

You don't think a machine will replace bartenders like soda dispensers.

Only the upscale places will use them. But we are a long way off of that.

[ImSlower]

Luckily for me, the world will still need good bartenders for a long time!

You don't think a machine will replace bartenders like soda dispensers.

Only the upscale places will use them. But we are a long way off of that.

That's the obvious answer, and certainly a large percentage of drinkers would be OK buying a pint from a machine at a game, but my career is about 2% pouring-a-pint and 98% tending a bar. Star Wars and Star Trek have space bars! My niche will survive!!

[League Circles]

Luckily for me, the world will still need good bartenders for a long time!

You don't think a machine will replace bartenders like soda dispensers.

Only the upscale places will use them. But we are a long way off of that.

That's the obvious answer, and certainly a large percentage of drinkers would be OK buying a pint from a machine at a game, but my career is about 2% pouring-a-pint and 98% tending a bar. Star Wars and Star Trek have space bars! My niche will survive!!

I would agree that it will survive longer than most professions. As I alluded to earlier, the more quintessentially "human" a role is, the longer it'll be til it is eliminated. Of course, as other roles are eliminated, there will be more and more competition for the roles that remain, driving wages down near zero. Hopefully we don't really need wages that badly. It's possible.

[dougthonus]

I'm undisciplined with regards to spending, saving and investing myself, but nonetheless I'd highly, highly recommend to everyone to save and invest as much as you can. You are likely to live decades longer than you think, and quite likely to be economically unproductive for the vast majority of it. Nothing from the economic experience of the last couple generations should really guide us.

Most of us just burn through money on poor choices, myself included. It will be a catastrophe for us and is likely to result in desperation on wide scales.

It's an interesting question, do you spend for when you are in your best health and can enjoy it, or do you want to have a safer landing when you are elderly rather than relying on a system which will likely be questionable?

I'm fortunate enough that my wife and I both have high level jobs and aren't choosing between those two outcomes, but for many people that really becomes a choice. I think we save about 30% of our net income every year, but I get that isn't possible for many people.