With technological advancements such as 3-D printing and automation machines, there is a fear within the manufacturing industry that there will be a mass elimination of jobs. Though for a long time it’s always been thought that robots and machines will take human jobs away, it is now a possibility that they don’t and actually bring about new jobs that require less physical labor.
With 3D printing, there will be a lot of opportunity for startups which would bring blue-collar employees into the white-collar world. So perhaps there will be a decrease in the amount of hard labor jobs, but there has already been a massive increase in skilled worker jobs. These jobs may require more skill and some education, but they are higher-paying and overall better jobs. Jobs in robotics are crucial with the implementation of more and more robots in the manufacturing industry. Having robots perform the blue-collar jobs that humans have for so long…point blank is a far cheaper option. Not only does this mean things will be manufactured more easily here in America, but it also means there will be less outsourcing and more things will be made in America, which will in turn stimulate our economy altogether.
As many jobs as technology takes away, it brings back more. By 2017, there are approximately 2.5 million new middle-skill jobs expected to be added to the economy.
These jobs will pay above $13 per hour, and will require some training, but not as much as schooling as a bachelor’s degree. The recent recession lost a lot of jobs, but it’s true; it’s always darkest before the dawn.
The blue-collar jobs may be headed off-shore… But the white-collar jobs are here to stay!
