Advancements in technology are a blessing and a curse. The latest rounds of job cuts in the tech industry prove it. Advancements may streamline processes and improve efficiency but always result in a reduction in workforce. If things keep moving in this direction, 92 million jobs will be lost globally by 2030. Certain job titles won’t even exist in the future.
If you are older, you lived through the manufacturing industry getting decimated because of a combination of advancements in technology and offshoring. Today, grocery stores have more self-checkout stations than they do cashiers. And you don’t need to read a report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to know that cashier jobs are scarce, but it is helpful if you thought you were imagining things.
Technology has already made radio personalities obsolete. Back in the beginning of radio, talent needed to be staffed 24/7. Personalities were live on the air, controlled the board, took calls and interacted with listeners, and had something to share with their audience other than song titles and station promos. Radio stations were bustling. Today, there may be one person in a building that is home to eight different radio stations. How is this possible?
Automation allows “trackers” to work from home and record breaks into a computer then drop them in between songs. They can record a week worth’s of breaks in a couple of hours. They don’t put much effort in to do so because they’re not being paid enough to bother. Trackers were former radio personalities who were given a choice and made it. Track or go on unemployment.
There isn’t an industry that exists that hasn’t suffered job cuts because of advancements in technology. At the same time, new jobs are created when new technology is launched. A good example of this happening is occurring in the tech industry. AI has led to nearly 80,000 jobs cuts but will create many more. The moral to the story is tech advancements are going to happen. To survive, you must evolve and create your own opportunity.