Replacement of jobs by technology a timebomb

Bill Gates has warned about the number of jobs that will be eliminated by computerisation. The Economist magazine has warned of a tornado of job elimination in office work.

Perhaps these warnings will force economists to think about how technology has transformed economic activity. The balance of supply and demand has been reversed; supply exceeds demand, rendering economic growth unnecessary and yet all recovery strategy is based on restoring growth.

Throwing money at growth gave rise to unmanageable debt; growth cannot occur when growth is not needed and overproduction capability ensures growth that it is no longer needed.

Overproduction capability has been achieved by elimination of dependence on human labour; elimination of work. To prevent social collapse, job numbers must be restored; employment must be generated from less work, but all policies are aimed at having those employed work harder, more efficiently, longer, and into older age. Such policies ensure fewer people will ever work. In future, we will have more people working less, or fewer people working more.

Attempts to have the impact of technology introduced into economic discussion have met hostile reaction, especially in broadcasting. Government departments, politicians, and economists have simply refused to discuss the subject, as if by ignoring the possibility it might go away.

It will not go away; impending unemployment, due to work elimination by advancing technology, is a reality of the 21st century and perhaps the greatest social problem we will have to confront. The only possible solution is more employment generated from less work. Shorter hours, longer holidays, and earlier retirement must be considered.

I challenge the political, economic and media establishment to heed Bill Gates and the Economist, and to acknowledge the crisis of work elimination and enter debate on how to create more jobs from less work.

Padraic Neary

Tubbercurry

Co Sligo