According to this report, India is now worrying about lower demand for jobs in the future, caused by smarter computers and increased automation.
In my view, there is no need to worry about reduced demand for workers due to technological advances. The solution - everybody work shorter work week and have the available jobs shared among the people who needs to work.
This will probably not work as it increases management costs which is now the manager needs to manage 2 instead of 1 due to 2 different employees. Companies are about profits, if there's a increase on any kind of costs, nobody will want to do that. As for their social responsibilities, that's not important at all, take a look at Lehman incident, China factories pollutions, etc. It's capitalism the boss.
ReplyDeleteREX comments as follows
ReplyDeleteI read the article on the situation in India but i cannot relate your solution to the problem in india.
The problem highlighted was that in a certain firm in India, data entry jobs for order processing was beginning to diminish as big firms are developing online direct sales order systems on internet.
You suggested everyone work a shorter work week and have the available jobs shared among people who needed the work.
Are you trying to say that if the staff cost is 100,000, then you will ask the existing employees to take a four day week due to decreasing revenue, and you cut their pay in order that another batch of new workers can be hired, and paid at a rate which will maintain the grand total around 100,000?
Maybe i misunderstand your proposed solution. It would be interesting if Mr Tan you could kindly explain clearly how your solution can work in the above example?
REX
The reasons why machines and computers were built is to create more value, higher productivity and improve the consistency of quality.
ReplyDeleteMy view is that education and innovation are the keys to continuous growth.
Work is a way to earn a living and to solve a problem. Working shorter work week will affect livelihood of people. However, educating them and enabling them the power to create solutions for problems will be a way out.
There are thousands of problems to be solved and this job cannot be done by computers or automation.
Regards
An Insurance agent.