Say hello to Kiosk. Yesterday, I had my first encounter with a McDonald’s kiosk. It’s okay—but it means that McDonald’s is probably going to employ fewer people to work the counter. I expect that over time McDonald’s will infuse Kiosk with something that resembles a personality. Kind of like Alexa for fast food.
This small and humble transaction has implications for Donald Trump’s redo of virtually every trade agreement we have. His goal is to bring back manufacturing. Look at the chart below.
American manufacturing has been in decline since the 1940s (the chart shows manufacturing employment as a percentage of overall employment). The decline has been steady and irreversible.
Technology-- more than trade-- has taken out manufacturing jobs.
Renegotiating trade agreements could start trade wars, but won't reverse this 70-year trend.
Technology-- more than trade-- has taken out manufacturing jobs.
Renegotiating trade agreements could start trade wars, but won't reverse this 70-year trend.
As a labor arbitrator for 30 years, I have witnessed this decline. I have seen at least some of the human toll it has taken on individuals, labor unions, and communities.
I don’t offer a panacea, but I do believe that our nation needs to invest in training and retraining its workforce. We need a culture that supports ongoing human capital investments, even in people whom we view as older.
No comments:
Post a Comment