Layoffs on the rise across Corporate America

Layoffs on the rise across Corporate America(usatoday.com)

3 points by verra 14 years ago | 5 comments

Leading Economic Indicators "declined slightly" : http://www.conference-board.org/data/bcicountry.cfm?cid=1

Sharp drop for Obama on Intrade: https://data.intrade.com/graphing/jsp/closingPricesForm.jsp?...

Earnings forecast drops and Stock Market goes negative for the year : http://finance.yahoo.com/news/analysis-economic-pain-takes-t...

moistgorilla 14 years ago |

This is only going to get worse and worse with the rise of automation. I think we are going to have to figure out a new system because pure capitalism isn't going to cut it. Technologies like the google self driving car are going to displace so many jobs that I am actually worrying about what people will do.

Think about it. The self driving car will make taxis, truck drivers, delivery vehicles, tractor drivers, garbage collectors, and traffic police ALL lose jobs.

Some grocery stores already have automated check out. Soon they will have automated shelve stocking too.

I think this is a good thing but I'm worried society will react to it in the wrong way. Such as rejecting technology in favor of using outdated work.

eurleif 14 years ago | |

>I think this is a good thing but I'm worried society will react to it in the wrong way. Such as rejecting technology in favor of using outdated work.

If we banned automation, we would be absurdly outcompeted by whichever societies didn't, and eventually we would have to rethink things. (Or, though I doubt this scenario, we wouldn't be outcompeted, which would prove that automation isn't so great. Either way, not really an outcome to worry about.)

verra 14 years ago | | |

Society that doesn't ban automation will soon collapse under overwhelming technological unemployment.

Note: I am not advocating the banning of automation.