Automation and its impact on employment

Automation and its impact on employment Industrial revolution that began in 18th century brought the drastic changes in the world. It resulted in economic growth of many countries within a few years. All the countries that utilised the development in industrial sector achieved good results. The technology development entered all the sectors like steel industry, automobile sector, shipping, textiles, and electrical sectors. This created millions of new jobs in various manufacturing divisions. Simultaneously advanced technology resulted in retrenchment of the old employees. Between 1966 and 1978 the newly introduced electronic typesetting equipment swallowed around 4200 type setters in New York but created new job opportunities for the people who can operate the new type setting equipment. In 1920s American railway employed more than 2, 00, 000 people and the number was reduced to only for 40 thousands because of advanced technology. Between 1947 and 1957 there were 10 thousands of workers in oil refineries of America. After 1957 though the production was increased the number of workers was reduced by three percent. However, there is a simultaneous increase in job opportunities for the people who can work with the advanced technology. In automobile division, robots replaced man power, but the people who could operate the robots could retain their jobs. Electronic mails, E-banking and computerization definitely cause the reduction of jobs. One cannot run away from the modern technology to save the jobs, but should use the technological developments to increase the business as well as the employment opportunities.
Legality in Government’s Action of Saving Jobs
In the case of reduction of jobs and retrenchment, the role of state can find legality in maintaining the retention as providing employment is part of the duties of the government. If the government confines itself to the regulatory function, one cannot find legality in saving the jobs. However, the legality for saving the jobs comes from the fact when government realises that providing or creating employment is a responsibility of the government. The legality can be maintained by continuing with public investment projects thus intensifying public sector employment programmes by adapting industrial financing to the companies who retain the employees in the wake of technological developments. 1
The government’s role in saving jobs
The changes in technology can be termed as a boon for the people who could adopt themselves to the new system. However, it is a curse for the workers who failed to improve their skills. So it’s the prime responsibility of the Federal and the local government to save the people from the ghost of unemployment. The government’s primary duty is to provide work for every citizen and enhance the productivity of the nation. So government organizations in the country should take some measures to check the job cut. They have to take some decisions in favour of the entrepreneurs. According to the previous records the person who updated his skills and knowledge could retain the job in the era of technological change also. So the government and the industrialists should nurture the skills of the workers according to requirement. Hence, government can help the entrepreneurs in training the people by providing facilities or financing the training programs. The entrepreneurs in the country did not want to train up the staff because of the afraid of the expenditure. Hence, financing for training or providing training facilities by the government can encourage the entrepreneurs to retain the employees making them suitable for the new roles. Government can waive the taxes on the expenditure which spend on land and other physical capital but not for the money spend on the employees training. So the government should have clear vision on the present situation of the world and they should give the training to the people in the sectors that witness technological developments.
References:
Editorial Staff, State Must Play Active Role in Saving Jobs, Newstoday. co. za, Published in 2009, Retrieved on 23rd February 2009 from < http://www. newstoday. co. za/cgi-bin/newstoday/show. pl? 1234263808: State%20must%20play%20active%20role%20in%20saving%20jobs>