Does Technology Kill Jobs?

Key Points

• Historical Context:

  • Technology and automation have been sources of job anxiety since the Industrial Revolution.
  • The Luddite movement, early 19th-century England, opposed machinery that replaced skilled artisans with low-paid machine operators.

• Impact of Technological Innovation:

  • Certain professions have disappeared due to technology, such as "knocker uppers" (pre-alarm clock wake-up service) and switchboard operators.
  • Jobs have evolved or disappeared within living memory; for example, the decline in TV repair technicians due to cheaper, more complex TVs.

• Human Computers:

  • Once, people known as computers performed mathematical calculations, a task now replaced by machines. Initially, these roles were predominantly filled by women.

• Current Trends:

  • While traditional blue-collar and low-status white-collar jobs have been susceptible to automation, knowledge-based white-collar jobs are now at risk.
  • Machine translation and automated legal/accounting services are expanding, threatening some professional roles.
  • Automation in art is increasing, with generated art being accepted by some despite quality differences from human artists.

• Overall Job Impact:

  • Historical data shows no significant reduction in overall employment rates due to automation.
  • High automation levels have historically correlated with high workforce participation.

Conclusion

Despite fears of unemployment driven by technological advances, history suggests that automation does not reduce overall job numbers. Instead, jobs evolve, and the workforce adapts. The growth of automation in knowledge-based fields might change this dynamic, but current evidence indicates continued workforce participation.