Those Days Are Over. Blame Technology, Says Robert Reich

May 31, 2009
Interesting blog post from Robert Reich, the nation's 22nd Secretary of Labor (under Bill Clinton) and one of the Wall Street Journal's top business thinkers of 2008. (Of course, 2008 was a horrifilcally bad year for business thinking.) In a post ...

Interesting blog post from Robert Reich, the nation's 22nd Secretary of Labor (under Bill Clinton) and one of the Wall Street Journal's top business thinkers of 2008. (Of course, 2008 was a horrifilcally bad year for business thinking.)

In a post entitled The Future of Manufacturing, GM and American Workers, Reich references a study from a that says that, between 1995-2002, increases in productivity meant the decline of jobs in manufacturing.

"The United States wasn't even the biggest loser. We lost about 11% of our manufacturing jobs in that period, but the Japanese lost 16% of theirs. Even developing nations lost factory jobs: Brazil suffered a 20% decline, and China had a 15% drop."

http://www.bchinab.com/images/WSJ102803.gif

He takes what I'd call a Friedman-ite "flat-earther" view towards what the economy will look like, post-recovery.

"We should stop pining after the days when millions of Americans stood along assembly lines and continuously bolted, fit, soldered or clamped what went by. Those days are over. . . When the U.S. economy gets back on track, many routine jobs won't be returning--but new jobs will take their place. A quarter of all Americans now work in jobs that weren't listed in the Census Bureau's occupation codes in 1967."

While this may be true, I believe that this brave new workforce, engaged in occupations that Reich calls "symbolic analytic work, because most of it has to do with analyzing, manipulating and communicating through numbers, shapes, words, ideas" -- are actually less "productive" than the traditional manufacturing that he has all but consigned to the dustbin of history.

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

3D Printing a More Efficient Factory Floor

Nov. 16, 2023
Today’s additive manufacturing platforms make it simple to print a wide range of high-performing industrial parts as soon as possible and right where you need them — unlocking...

Modern Edge Computing Accelerates Smart Manufacturing Initiatives for Discrete Manufacturers

Oct. 22, 2023
Discover how Edge Computing platforms are a requisite for discrete manufacturers to solve production challenges, accelerate digitalization, and establish a reliable infrastructure...

Discover How an Eye Tracking Study Improves Training Procedures

Oct. 29, 2023
Did you know that your training processes can be streamlined by visualizing and analyzing key skills within your employee base? Find out how we use eye tracking to capture advanced...

What Is Your Smart Factory IQ?

Sept. 24, 2023
It’s time to put Smart, data-driven manufacturing operations to the test. In this comprehensive whitepaper we show you how to determine the Artificial Intelligence Quotient (AIQ...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!