As Technology Evolves, Jobs Disappear

If you’ve ever used an ATM, automated phone service or purchased an American car you might have some connection to technology. As software permeates our lives, middle-class jobs seem to be disappearing for good.Whole categories from secretaries to travel agents are disappearing and by 2020 ‘Meter Readers’ are said to be a thing of the past.

“There’s no sector of the economy that’s going to get a pass,” says Martin Ford, who runs a software company and wrote “The Lights in the Tunnel,” a book predicting widespread job losses. “It’s everywhere.”

“The numbers startle even labor economists. In the United States, half of the 7.5 million jobs lost during the Great Recession paid middle-class wages, ranging from $38,000 to $68,000. But only 2 percent of the 3.5 million jobs gained since the recession ended in June 2009 are midpay. Nearly 70 percent are low-paying jobs; 29 percent pay well.” (Source: Oregon Live)

© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.

Skip to content