Innovation - not jobs??

[gyrene81]

New technology is not the problem its the downturn of the economy

i beg to differ. technology is displacing the work force as it has been since the first assembly line robotics were introduced. the whole thing has been a steadily increasing chain reaction...and we haven't seen the worst of it yet.

what technology hasn't replaced is quality, but that's another story.

[coombz]

That's after adjusting for inflation, shuffler...and HELL YES, I PRODUCE!!! Much more than the best of the averages. I manage AND maintain an apartment community, alone, except for rare instances that I must use a contractor for a job bigger than I am. I lay vinyl, hardwood floors, do all make-readies. I complete ALL service orders same day, and work an average of 50 to 60 hours EVERY week. I'm HVAC certified, a Certified Pool Operator and a Certified Lead-based Paint renovator. I'm on call 7/24/52. and I'm making less than what I earned in 2005, let alone 2007. Shuffler, you sound like a typical Mitt Romney Republican, accusing others who work VERY hard, for slave wages, of not being either intelligent or ambitious. I resent the implication of your response, sir, and ask that you seek to put yourself in the shoes of those of us who do work hard, pay our taxes and our bills, and don't live higher than we should by using credit. If ALL the workers in the US went on strike for just a few days, all your wealthy businesses would go to hell in a hand basket. It's about time that the value of the workers, the ones who put YOUR production out, be recognized for what we are...THE BACKBONE of the USA!

You pay those taxes so Romney and people like him don't have to

[rabbidrabbit]

You pay those taxes so Obama and people like him don't have to

How astute of you Coombz!  I never would have figured you mature enough to see past shallow political jabs in another country that you know far less about than you pretend to.

[SEraider]

i beg to differ. technology is displacing the work force as it has been since the first assembly line robotics were introduced. the whole thing has been a steadily increasing chain reaction...and we haven't seen the worst of it yet.

what technology hasn't replaced is quality, but that's another story.

I think that's the 1/2 of it.  Employment and productivity increases have rose together each of the last decades.  What the he is saying is that last decade, employment decreased at the end of the decade as compared to the start of the decade.  This is the 1st time this has happened in modern history due to the start of the digital age. 

Question is, is this an economic cycle regarding a downturn, or a new economy and therefore, we should start to think radically different in terms of our place in the world?

[Klam]

30 years working with wood.  Never seen it so good.
I got lucky and ignored the doom masters who said I was an idiot!

[Copprhed]

This is too funny...it's not about MY pay, it's about the FACT that WORKERS are producing more, and getting paid LESS. Make sure all you "business owners" out there make your profit. Too many clear 250,000 a year, while not paying their employees a living wage, and YOU think WE owe YOU something. As I said in my earlier post, YOU don't produce, the WORKERS produce. Without the workers, you have nothing. Shuffler, you obviously didn't read my initial post correctly ....you mistakenly, or by choice, said MY pay hadn't increased, when what I SAID was that workers have continued to produce more, while getting less money for that work, in proportion to the INCREASE in production. I will state it more plainly. We the workers are working longer, harder and doing a better job, while the employers are choosing to put that increased profit into THEIR pockets instead of giving at least some of it to the very people who do the job the employers can't. Yes, CAN'T or are too lazy to....

[Copprhed]

This is too funny...it's not about MY pay, it's about the FACT that WORKERS are producing more, and getting paid LESS. Make sure all you "business owners" out there make your profit. Too many clear 250,000 a year, while not paying their employees a living wage, and YOU think WE owe YOU something. As I said in my earlier post, YOU don't produce, the WORKERS produce. Without the workers, you have nothing. Shuffler, you obviously didn't read my initial post correctly ....you mistakenly, or by choice, said MY pay hadn't increased, when what I SAID was that workers have continued to produce more, while getting less money for that work, in proportion to the INCREASE in production. I will state it more plainly. We the workers are working longer, harder and doing a better job, while the employers are choosing to put that increased profit into THEIR pockets instead of giving at least some of it to the very people who do the job the employers can't. Yes, CAN'T or are too lazy to....

[caldera]

If ALL the workers in the US went on strike for just a few days, all your wealthy businesses would go to hell in a hand basket. It's about time that the value of the workers, the ones who put YOUR production out, be recognized for what we are...THE BACKBONE of the USA!

Wouldn't that be great?!  No food, water, power, police, firemen, television, radio, internet or anything!  And those evil, greedy businessmen would all go broke so nobody would be there to hire everyone back - fantastic!   You really thought that one through. 

Would be especially fun at nuclear plants.  Everybody just take a few days off.  Power to the people! 

[SIM]

Working for a company is so hard to do.....they pay me well, I have benefits, and money being put away towards my retirement......


Can I get bashed for making a good living? Tell ya what, I work for the company so I expect to meet the standards of the comapny. If I cant do that, I'll move on......


So, explain to me why I should be upset with executives making lots of money?


So many people have forgotten what it means to "Live within their means". But few of them have ever forgotten how to lay blame and point a finger...........

[SEraider]

Have some of us watched the video before commenting?

[rabbidrabbit]

This is too funny...it's not about MY pay, it's about the FACT that WORKERS are producing more, and getting paid LESS. Make sure all you "business owners" out there make your profit. Too many clear 250,000 a year, while not paying their employees a living wage, and YOU think WE owe YOU something. As I said in my earlier post, YOU don't produce, the WORKERS produce. Without the workers, you have nothing. Shuffler, you obviously didn't read my initial post correctly ....you mistakenly, or by choice, said MY pay hadn't increased, when what I SAID was that workers have continued to produce more, while getting less money for that work, in proportion to the INCREASE in production. I will state it more plainly. We the workers are working longer, harder and doing a better job, while the employers are choosing to put that increased profit into THEIR pockets instead of giving at least some of it to the very people who do the job the employers can't. Yes, CAN'T or are too lazy to....

That's right, It's all about class warfare!   You were forced to take and keep the jobs you have!  You never had a choice to put it on the line and take the risks that evil business people have but certainly deserve whatever you think your fair share of the proceeds are by confiscating them!  Forward!

[Copprhed]

Wouldn't that be great?!  No food, water, power, police, firemen, television, radio, internet or anything!  And those evil, greedy businessmen would all go broke so nobody would be there to hire everyone back - fantastic!   You really thought that one through. 

Would be especially fun at nuclear plants.  Everybody just take a few days off.  Power to the people! 

Have trouble discerning the difference between literal and figurative speech?

[Copprhed]

That's right, It's all about class warfare!   You were forced to take and keep the jobs you have!  You never had a choice to put it on the line and take the risks that evil business people have but certainly deserve whatever you think your fair share of the proceeds are by confiscating them!  Forward!

So, you think that going back to the days of child labor, and mistreatment of workers would be good....and LAWDY! Let's us awl git back them slaves! Then we don't have ta pay nobody! Sheeeeeeeesh! This is about the fact that workers not businesses have increased production. The workers definitely deserve better than minimum wages, which many get. You see, we're not all like ole Mitt, with his Swiss bank accounts, and money hidden in the Caymans.

[GScholz]

The TED video was very interesting.

I was an employee before I became a business owner, and there is one question nobody seems able to answer: Why do people think their work is more valuable this year than the last? If you produce more value for your employer you deserve more pay, but there seems to be a general idea that every year every worker should get a raise regardless of performance. The wage push is the driving force behind inflation as higher labor costs passed on to the consumers by the producers.

[Shuffler]

You pay those taxes so Romney and people like him don't have to

I bet you did not pay near what romney or obama did.

They pay their share and more if they are business owners.

They get the same write offs you do.

They invest heavily and make more jobs. When money from the government (our money) is given to people to make jobs it is only temporary. Folks who have businesses make more permanent jobs.

As the saying goes..... take the money from the rich and give it to the poor......  within about a year the one's who had it originally will have it back.

Starting a business is a big step. It's easy for someone sitting in their easy chair to complain...... but without those businessmen/women there would be no jobs at all.

Any time the government gets involved in business it means bad news for the employees. The recent insurance boondogle means our employees get less coverage and it cost them more. We have always paid for the employees coverage. The employee pays for their family.