Disappearing Jobs

[blackpowder]

Well the answer is not for the govt to increase hiring.

[Retired]

Not being a religious man but somewheree there is a saying let the man without sin cast the first stone. How many of you havent got bigger machinery to make more money with less labor and by doing so you displaced someone that was making a living on his own, but you priced him out of the market.

[GDR]

So think about it this way, assuming automation or Labour were the same cost even though I'm sure they aren't. If a $50000 annual machine cost replaces a $50000 job, either way a tax deduction to the business. Problem is the machine doesn't pay income taxes like the employee would. Lost tax money plus perhaps now have another person on social services - double whammy.

Maybe the business tax system should be changed to a much higher rate with credits given back for each employee / salary dollar or whatever. Or find a way to tax the automation.

We can't have everyone sitting around collecting welfare.

Automation for most things probably makes a better product. But I sure hate the self checkout crap these days. I for one stand in line for the one till with a real person running it and I'm usually not alone. Grocery, hardware, Walmart, McDonald's all going that way.

[ajl]

Financial repression with artificially lower interest rates further skews the labor vs capital decision in favor of capital. This is why having central banks go nuts with the printing press all around the world was the dumbest thing to do and the fallout from it will be felt for decades.

[macdon02]

Anyone follow Canadian demographics? Lol we are screwed. Automation will be the least of our worries. I see it everywhere. Baby boomer generation family consisted of 4 minimum, if not 8 or 10 or more. I was born in the 70s, 3 kids was normal. Well I had 2 before I got snipped. So how exactly are the boomers pension getting paid if young worker population continues to decline? Life expectancy continues to go up with better health care. This just isn't gonna end well. Peter Zeihan has a decent presentation on YouTube regarding demographics. I don't agree with everything he says but I do on birthrate. I won't even venture into the discussion on which segments of society have the higher birthrate. It's plain as day. I see a day coming when relying on govt for income is over. We might have to rely on children to take care of us in retirement as the previous generations did without care homes. I suspect it was Obamacare premiums jumping 40% this year that put the writing on the wall as far as automation is concerned. One needs to look past the backyard sometimes this didn't start in Canada. Just read tonight that Bank of America is running 3 branches with no staff, atm's and video conference to lending staff. I'm really pushing for my teenager to look at computer programming or repair for a career. Artificial intelligence will be the other big sector. Even if he farms I suspect in 10-20 years iron will drive itself and our skill set shifts from pulling wrenches and welding to more tech. There will be no position for someone that drives anything, cabs, bus, truck. Anyone been to an airport lately? Scan your own passport and self checkin. I saw McDonald's has a machine that will cook and package a meal on its own. Like the industrial revolution employment will shift again. So many were employed in ag till iron came along, so it'll shift again. There's absolutely massive change going on in the world if you stop and look around. Nothing is impossible. Who knows maybe consuming for a living will shift back to its roots and everyone will do the vertical farm in the basement and use a 3d printer to manufacture what you need at home.

[sumdumguy]

It'll be Freedom 45, but not in Phoenix.

[15444]

Assisted suicide will be well supported and 'strengthened' by government if the boomers decide to live well past their care-free expiration date. 20 years from now, the guy sitting in long-term care for 3 years with dementia might have the nurse roll up to him with a cart and offer him his own personal choice of euthanasia method, whether he wants it or not - government can't afford you and family can't look after you.

When you see the Liberal's economic council come out on Monday and say, 'you know what, Harper was a smart man - seniors have to work till 67 or the system is bust.' - you know something is coming.

[SASKFARMER]

Get ready to pay more! The Gov. Years ago got us all to incorporate. Want to guess why that was done.

Death and taxes that's it.

[Rareearth]

Every one likes to beat up business and corporations for the tax, they pay too much or they don't pay enough.

If jobs are so important, to communities and the economy then you have to ask yourself, " how many jobs have I created?" Sadly most complainers don't creat jobs.

Population shifts, demographics,religion, and ethnicity are all changing. Nothing's changed.

[Hamloc]

GDR I think you have a good idea. Normally a business receives a tax credit on new equipment. No doubt the tax system should incentivize and reward job creation. And certainly it would be beneficial to find a way to tax automation, to make it less appealing. Not sure how that would play out in Agriculture as it is true we spend a lot on mechanization to reduce the number of people required to produce a crop.