Work, Work, Work

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   gmwilliamsposted 10 months ago

   
   How will the nature of work change in the 21st century?  Will more people work remotely? With the increase in computerization & automation, will blue collar occupations be phased out?  Will the concept of work be transformed in the middle 21st century, only having the most specialized jobs which will require advanced education?  Will workplace policies become more humane?   Your thoughts on this?

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      Castlepalomaposted 10 months agoin reply to this

      I don't see working a 9-5 job two days off and repeat. Or a career where its subordination cut throat to the top and more than 80% don't like their job. Instead of paying  to go to school. lI was a brick mason to learn how to build houses. Or did security supervisor and private investigator to learn how to secure and protect tiny house villages and urban farming.  After 10 years my sculptures work payed more than construction work and turned me into a millionaire. Since COVID no longer a millionaire anyone. Yet it's funny being happier now, then ever before,  being more of a personal service for humanity. Being overall happy being  entrepreneur for most waking hours of my life. That 10% working for the man, was good for free schooling. Conclusions, love your work or you will not master life.

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   2. 60

      CHRIS57posted 10 months agoin reply to this

      If automation leads to higher productivity then this means: Less work left over for humans.
      
      Unless - unless there is a growing demand, a growing economy that requires a higher output of goods and services.
      
      If economy is not growing, but productivity is ( due to automation), there will be less work for humans left over. And in this respect it does not matter blue collar, white collar, remote work.
      
      However, more automation will like push the need for more skilled labour. The issue of AI taking over part of skilled labour has still to be discussed.

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   3. 85

      Springboardposted 9 months agoin reply to this

      I don't think it is possible nor practical. There will never come a time when you don't require physical hands to complete certain tasks, and you will always need a plumber or an electrician, someone to build your house, fix your car, prepare food at a restaurant.
      
      Society will never fundamentally change in this regard because it can't.

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 9 months agoin reply to this

         However, physical labor will decrease as there is more automation/computerization.  There will be machine who will be programmed to do manual labor.  Lower level jobs, both blue & white collared, will eventually become extinct within a couple of decades.  Robots will replace humans in performing rudimentary job functions.

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2. 85

   Sharlee01posted 10 months ago

   Great topic.
   
   The nature of work in the 21st century is undoubtedly evolving in response to a multitude of factors.  Remote work has gained lots of traction, in my view, largely accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This shift does offer flexibility and convenience but also raises questions about the future of traditional office-based work and its impact on urban development.
   
   As for blue-collar occupations, I think while automation and computerization are increasing, it's more about transformation than total phasing out.  Many tasks can be automated, but humans still play a crucial role in maintenance, oversight, and human problem-solving.   Blue-collar workers might need to adapt by acquiring new skills and embracing technology in their roles.
   
   In terms of the concept of work, it's probable that we'll continue to see a growing demand for specialized jobs requiring advanced education.  As technology advances, the job market is likely to emphasize skills that are harder to automate, such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence.

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      Castlepalomaposted 10 months agoin reply to this

      Love the last sentences.

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3. 90

   MizBejabbersposted 10 months ago

   White collar work is changing somewhat, like working remotely that became popular during covid. I certainly don't see blue collar work being phased out. We will always need service workers, such as plumbers, HVAC repair persons, electricians, mechanics, you get the picture. However, certain aspects of blue collar work has already started changing and will continue to change with the times.  Our vehicles are now computer controlled, and automobile repair shops have had to either hire mechanics who learned computers in school or close up shop, as in the case of some of the old timers.
   Somehow I don't believe we will have robots crawling under houses to locate and fix broken pipes. Plumbers may still be having to crawl under houses to fix broken plumbing, but they are using fancy electrical equipment to detect and locate leaks and do pressure checks on gas lines. And one would think that a plumber would spend less time with the new fangled equipment and that would lower charges, but that equipment is more expensive than a box of wrenches, and the plumber has to pay for it by raising prices.
   
   Around the turn of the 21st Century, the Arkansas state legislature introduced some bills turning the states trade schools into junior colleges. I remember it well because I was a legal editor at the time and we had a discussion in our office about what a mistake we thought they were making. It didn't take too long for the university that oversaw the junior colleges to start bringing back trades into their curricula.
   
   The first one to be prominently and proudly advertised was a school for chefs at our local trade aka junior college now trying to ease back. Nursing and other medical careers such as lab techs are being offered at these now hybrid junior college/trade schools. I foresee more careers of this type being offered in the future. These are in lieu of the expensive medical careers that are now requiring PhDs and are offering lower income students a chance at a rewarding career.
   
   Education is changing to meet the new demands of both white collar and blue collar workers. Even as low on the education totem pole as elementary schools are, our former governor pushed for teaching coding to children in the third and fourth grades. Now we are welcoming some new little computer geniuses into our midst.
   
   The reason I'm mentioning these changes that have already occurred is because I believe that there are many more in store for us. I believe there will be more opportunities for lower income people to advance, as well as opportunities for people in higher income brackets to advance. I doubt that workplaces will become more humane because human nature changes very little. What dismays me is the trend of people not willing to work since the days of covid.
   
   Crime statistics seem to be up, which may be a natural result of people who don't want to return to an honest job or career. There seems to be a "Help Wanted" sign in the window of most businesses that I patronize. Will the trend be to allow in more aliens to fill these jobs? And will crime, for any reason, continue to increase. But I guess those are questions for another forum.

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      tsmogposted 10 months agoin reply to this

      Hooray, an awesome description of job opportunities and new trends with education for those opportunities. I think 'white' and 'blue' collar as descriptors are now archaic and have no meaning today.
      
      The U.S. Census occupations are classified into 570 specific occupational categories and arranged into 23 major occupational groups. For a deep dive go to the next link and skim for graphics and tables to learn what those are.
      
      Occupation, Earnings, and Job Characteristics by U.S. Census (2022) It is a PDF document.
      https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Cens … 70-178.pdf

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      Sharlee01posted 10 months agoin reply to this

      Thank you for sharing --- so relevant, and informative.

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   josephpayneposted 10 months ago

   The nature of work is changing in the 21st century due to various factors such as advances in technology, globalization, and changing demographics. One major trend is the increase in remote work, which has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report by Gartner, hybrid work models will become the norm, with more flexibility for employees to work from home or other locations.
   
   Automation and computerization are also transforming the job market, with some blue-collar jobs being phased out while new jobs are being created in fields such as data analysis and machine learning. However, as highlighted by a World Bank report, there is a growing demand for nonroutine cognitive and sociobehavioral skills that require creativity, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence.
   
   In terms of workplace policies, there is a growing recognition of the importance of employee well-being and work-life balance. Companies are implementing initiatives like flexible schedules, mental health support, and parental leave to attract and retain talent.
   
   Overall, the concept of work is evolving, and it is likely that in the middle of the 21st century, highly specialized jobs that require advanced education will become more prevalent. It is important for individuals to adapt to these changes by continually upgrading their skills and staying current with emerging trends.

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