The alternation of old and new is inevitable, and industrial robots are reshaping North American manufacturing

Robots are not taking our jobs, they are improving them. In North American manufacturing, more desirable jobs will be preserved, and manufacturers can have more energy to focus on innovation. Ultimately, new jobs require higher education and higher skill levels, which will result in some people losing their jobs in the short term, but it is in the long-term interests of workers and society as a whole. According to foreign media reports, Matthew Lendl, CEO of OTTOMotors, a subsidiary of Canadian robotics company Clearpath Robotics, recently wrote that although industrial robots will replace human jobs in manufacturing, in the long run, he thinks this is a good thing. In the ten years from 2000 to 2010 alone, 5.6 million manufacturing jobs disappeared across North America. Notably, only 13% of the job losses can be attributed to international trade. And 85% of jobs disappear due to 'productivity growthIt sounds nerve-wracking that robots will wipe out entire manufacturing. Related articles such as 'How to defend your job when robots start taking over?' 'Will your job be replaced by robots?' But in fact it is not so. Over the past 20 years, total U.S. manufacturing output has increased by nearly 40% to a record $2.4 trillion. While jobs are declining, unit industrial output is increasing. Employees in the manufacturing industry have better educational experience, higher remuneration, and higher added value of products, and the production technology of the entire manufacturing industry is also more advanced. The actual situation is that there is currently a labor gap of 2 million in the US manufacturing industry, which is mainly due to the aging of manufacturing employees. In the United States, the average age of manufacturing employees is 45 years old, and it has remained high among the non-farm occupations in the United States for the past two and a half years. At the same time, the number of young people engaged in manufacturing is basically negligible. These statistics lead us to a different conclusion: robots are not taking our jobs, they are improving them. Robots are safer and more reliable, and they are more orderly. In addition, the robot is more cost-effective, and it can even pay for itself in 12 months or less. This is a cost-driven, continuous change to the entire industry. The corresponding cost savings will also trigger a series of chain reactions. In North American manufacturing, more desirable jobs will be preserved, and manufacturers can have more energy to focus on innovation. Ultimately, new jobs require higher education and higher skill levels, which will result in some people losing their jobs in the short term, but it is in the long-term interests of workers and society as a whole. Historically, the impact of technology on production has always been strikingly similar to unity. In the last century, the automotive industry has evolved from manual assembly to fully automated machine assembly. As a result, automakers started producing more cars and employing more workers per car. Workers no longer have to do dangerous work by themselves, but can program robots to perform related operations, and the labor they get is better paid. As technology advances, our production is more efficient and our quality of life is higher. Relevant studies in economics have also effectively confirmed this. Era of heavy investment in automation technology, such as the Industrial Revolution, have seen substantial increases in GDP. Advances in technology have created a virtuous cycle that leads to a safer work environment for workers. At the same time, more skilled work skills mean higher work pay, which also promotes people to devote more energy to higher education and increase their disposable income through skilled labor skills, thereby effectively stimulating economic development. A recent article in The Washington Post illustrates this well: “This is the natural dynamism of a market economy driven by increased productivity. Increased agricultural productivity drives the migration of farmers to cities, which stimulates the industrial economy. , and ultimately the whole society is as productive as it is today, and our health care, education, and public services are better.” Now, we are in the same cycle. This is also the current state of North American manufacturing. In fact, industrial robots are making the entire industry better and better. They make our jobs better, not only help develop local industries, but also help improve our quality of life. With higher levels of automation, production efficiency, production safety, and productivity, North American manufacturing will not only survive, but will demonstrate more innovation. Will industrial robots take your job? Maybe will. But everything has two sides. You might find a better job with better pay. The future is always bright.