General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Where do people here come down on Uber et. al.? [View all]WestCoastLib
(442 posts)I don't think you understand just how much work is being created by companies like uber. It's not about the drivers, but the technology being used is creating work throughout the tech sector in large quantities.
Manufacturing labor and the large number of industries that are still relics from the industrial revolution are going away and there is simply no bringing the jobs of the mid-20th century back by either legislation or social engineering.
Everytime you hear of a company that is moving to a business model that is technology-based and online connectivity based, you are creating a tremendous amount of work for a large number of people across the country (and the world) in the tech sector. This isn't just 6 figure salary work, but the tech sector employs millions of people earning middle class wages too.
If you are interested in the US moving to more of a European model, Northern European in particular, in regard to working conditions (as I am), then the tech industry is also on the leading edge of providing those type of benefits, time off and work/life balance for it's employees.
The bottom line is that the tech sector is where jobs are going and there is really no point in fighting that. We should be focusing heavily on issues like education to help prepare young people entering into the workplace and safety nets for older workers that were educated in a different era for these realities, but we can't artificially create jobs in industries that are becoming outdated due to technological advancement.
I consider myself a progressive, with the emphasis on "progress". We need to be forward thinking, not backward looking, and part of that is dealing with the realities of where technological advancement is heading, not trying to ignore them, or fight them.