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The media is recognizing these new trends: robots taking over many jobs, outsourcing, and the need for new human-resource models for creating jobs and buttressing entrepreneurs.
Here are some media links:
NY Times: How Did the Robot End Up With My Job? By Thomas L. Friedman, published Oct. 1, 2011. Today’s hyperconnected world requires white-collar workers to compete with a bigger pool of cheap geniuses, some of whom are robots, microchips, and machines.
Freelancer.com | Online Jobs | Freelance Employment | Outsourcing Services | Programmers | Web Design | Freelancers. Thomas Friedman mentions this site in his above article.
Green's comment: I’ve been asking NYT’s editor Andrew Ross Sorkin to pursue the "robot taking jobs" story since I wrote about "man vs. machine" on my blog, as a reaction to President Obama’s jobs plan. While Friedman’s article is very good, he doesn’t go far enough. Thankfully, he mentioned www.Freelancers.com, an Australian company bringing eBay-style auctioning to outsourcing. But that site seems focused on IT, impersonal, and commodity-like, which benefits companies looking to drive down cost with freelancers. My bone to pick with Mr. Friedman – who I respect very much – is that his new book and articles spot some problems, but then lead to traditional liberal platforms like more government spending on infrastructure and education. Mr. Friedman doesn't tackle the stifling effects of entrenched unions, undue regulations and taxes, employee benefits and unemployment entitlements, and fair trade with China.
Sept. 14, 2011 by Charley Moore and Eva Arevuo
Green’s comment: President Obama’s jobs proposal has a good element crucial to turning the unemployed into entrepreneurs. It allows people to keep their unemployment benefits while they try to build a business, something that is prohibited in most places now. Conservatives could argue it’s not a good idea because some might abuse it by getting fired to collect unemployment benefits, and then investing those benefits in their business. It’s worth the risk; it’s sort of like using tax breaks to spur business investment. Many traders collect unemployment benefits while trading, which is okay because it’s not deemed “earned income.” Hopefully this element of the President’s job act passes. It would help solve the underlying problem.
OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR, Entrepreneur or Unemployed? By ROBERT B. REICH, published June 1, 2010.
Green’s comment: Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, spots the trends we discuss but he focuses on the downside, rather than pointing out opportunities too. Reich dwells on laid-off employees becoming lower-paid pawns of temp agencies. Green encourages temp workers to become their own agency and recruit others to join them as a way to be more profitable.
CNBC.com Article: Part-Time Retirement, Part-Time Work
By Elizabeth Alterman, published Sept. 26, 2011
Because the recent financial crisis has drastically reduced the value of their retirement accounts as well as the equity in their homes, about half of all workers plan to remain employed after they retire, mostly in part-time jobs, a recent survey shows.
NYTimes: A Tryout Program for the Unemployed
By SHAILA DEWAN, published Sept. 23, 2011
A tryout initiative with marginal success has leaders in Washington thinking it should be expanded nationally to help put people back to work.
Man vs. Machine, NYTimes Economix blog
By CATHERINE RAMPEL, June 10, 2011
The Atlantic William D. Cohan | March 29, 2011
Going From Unemployed to Entrepreneur | KPBS.org
Friday, Jan. 28, 2011
Unemployment Can Lead to Entrepreneurship - NYTimes.com
On to Plan B: Starting a Business
By MICKEY MEECE, Published: Aug. 22, 2009
