A jobs apocalypse has begun in the West as automation takes over. How long will it be before it arrives in India?
ON A MAY trip to Paris and the San Francisco Bay Area, one of the things that startled me is the virtual extinction of various categories of jobs. Technology could well be the culprit, although I read somewhere that only a single official job classification has explicitly disappeared in the US in the last 60 years: elevator (lift) operator. But what I observed was that there is an accelerated pace at which some formerly ubiquitous jobs are disappearing. Perhaps the same will happen in India, too.
I discussed this with a banker, chairman of a large private bank, and he was sanguine: he pointed out that in past cycles of job disappearance, other positions opened up to compensate. If bank teller jobs have been decimated by the appearance of ATMs and internet banking, he pointed out that the proliferation of TV channels had created vast numbers of new positions. Implicit in his statement was the assumption that people could be re-trained and re-purposed.
That assumption may not be valid: often, even if the total number of jobs increases, a significant proportion of those who lost their positions are unable to find new jobs that are more or less comparable to their old ones. Skills are often not transferable; or they may be forced to take up jobs that pay significantly less. That was the experience of manufacturing workers in the US when factory jobs disappeared: many ended up being forced to take up much worse service jobs, for instance slinging hamburgers in fast food joints.
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Swarajya Mag.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2017 edition of Swarajya Mag.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Refuging Progess
There is a well-orchestrated global conspiracy to deny scientific and technological developments from the West to Third World countries.
The Monk Of Science
Vivekananda believed that Religion should be subjected to scientific methods of investigation. The third and concluding part of our series on the Swami and his views on science.
The Next Step
Indian technical manpower can be trained for high-value-added emerging services in the era of mass commoditisation of hardware.
The Threat Of Autarchy
The force of globalisation is an irreversible reality, and it is countries like India and China that will nurture it going forward.
Neanderthals: The Womb Of Caves
Recent discoveries indicate that Neanderthals may have had a rich inner life, including symbolic thought. Indeed, they may have been the progenitors of human religions.
Getting India's World Right
Incremental concessions will get India nowhere with Pakistan and China. What we need is a classically conservative foreign policy, based on realism.
The Hesitant Orbit
In order to march boldly ahead into the deep space, New Delhi must work towards building a station, boost its techno-economic planning and use the Indian Space Research Organisation smartly.
Nudges And Narratives
The debate surrounding Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati brings India a complex network of portraits within a cultural world-system.
The Spell Of Specialisation
THE INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE NEEDS AN URGENT REJIG. THE KEY TO SPEED AND EFFICIENCY LIES IN PUTTING AN END TO A GENERALIST APPROACH AND IN GOING FOR A NEW SERVICE.
The Great Gamble
With demonetisation, the prime minister has taken a huge risk— both economic and political. He must succeed, because this move could transform both our economy and our society.
