Credit: CLÉMENT FALIZE ON UNSPLASH
As technology continues to emerge, people are growing more fearful that their jobs are going to be in jeopardy.
Forbes magazine talks about how the future is going to split the American labor force into two worlds. One world will contain highly educated professionals making the majority of the money and reinvesting it into companies that are focusing on automation. The other world will contain middle-class, less formally-educated but no less hard-working individuals who are being pushed into dead-end jobs.
It’s a scary thought, for sure. A recent study indicated that over the last 40 years, jobs have fallen in every industry that introduced technology to boost productivity. This isn’t showing up in employment rates because those companies with less technology were hiring more people. Automation may not completely eliminate jobs, but it will reduce the value of the jobs. This, in turn, can lead to a financial mess for anyone who is not wealthy.
But small communities could prevent this scenario from happening. Small companies are started all across the country to help solve local market needs, and have blossomed as a result. People who find their purpose in meaningful work become self-sufficient and become active members in building the future. It is the small communities that can help to re-inspire economic growth because people are always thinking and looking for ways to make things better.
Smaller markets create opportunities for this innovation to take off. New jobs can be created, technology can be utilized, and people can learn to be social with each other. Business leaders need to recognize the significance and importance of these small companies and help push them forward. Automation may take over some businesses, but small businesses are not ready to give up the fight.
