thoughts on the news of the day: jobs

hmmm…..

            I read an article this morning about a chain of grocery stores in Massachusetts that has eliminated its self service lines at its check out counters.  They have determined that the personal contact that customer’s desire trumps the convenience of checking out speedily and promptly.  On the other hand, some stores are experimenting with offering a scanner to shoppers as they walk in the store.  You could scan your items as you (yes, you) put them in grocery bags and then pay by scanning your debit card as you walk out the door.  Let’s see, if that happened, wonder how many jobs it would eliminate? 

            I think we have outsmarted ourselves.  We want to save money, but the solution to saving money always seems to be less workforce and less hours on the job.  This sounds nice until the fact settles in that it could be our job that is eliminated.   

            There was a book written many years ago by Buckminster Fuller (the geodesic dome inventor).  He predicted that we would all someday work and go to school at home; that we would work far fewer hours and that life would be better.  I guess I have lived to see his predictions somewhat fulfilled.  Internet classes are available for most college courses and are being considered for high school and even grade school.  Lots of us take our computers and smart phones everywhere we go, so we can work anywhere we are.

            The down side of all of this is that less people are needed to work, which means fewer jobs for all of us.  Somehow we need to fix this – I’m not sure how.

            hmmm…..