Technology Makes Jobs Growth A Myth

Sydney Morning Herald

Friday September 18, 1998

This evening during a news broadcast we saw technology which will allow us to work from our cars, our pools and perhaps even our beds. Then in the parliamentary leaders' debate following, Mr Beazley mentioned "the days when we thought jobs would increase forever". When was this? 1950? How can anyone believe creation of jobs is going to suddenly go on an upward spiral, whichever party assumes power?

Each week technology evolves electronic wizardry which must decimate staff levels.

Twenty years ago a small office would have a manager, a stenographer, a couple of typists, clerks and a messenger boy/girl. Now one employee does it all and messages are done electronically.

Two hundred years ago the Luddites opposed the Industrial Revolution when comparable changes took place; agrarian communities became industrial cities and now are either ghost towns or Silicon Valleys.

More employment must be financed in essential areas such as hospitals, schools, social welfare and even a few more bank personnel would be nice, but where can long-term employment be found for unqualified, untrained workers while we force technological changes into all facets of business and industry?

Janet Peters, September 13 Roseville.

After listening for the past few years (daily, as an election approaches) to our various politicians promising more jobs, or creating more jobs, et cetera, I wonder that none of them admits our past way of life, with a reasonable amount of employment, is gone forever.

Our technological/electronic age has made it possible to make man redundant.

Observations from my little corner of the world make it clear that farmers no longer need men for positions once called farm hands/rural labourers; machines suffice.

A pathology lab installs a machine; 10 people in that section are immediately redundant.

A warehouse has a robot selecting products from different areas (activated by one man seated at a panel) for loading onto a truck; no need for five or six men previously used.

The list goes on and on.

We will never, ever have full employment again. Why can't the politicians admit this?

H. L. Gaudion, September 14 Tamworth.