During the past few decades we have seen a shift from Industrial work :: Business and Management Studies

During the past few decades we have seen a shift from Industrial work to Information technology work Industrial Work To Information Technology Work During the past few decades we have seen a shift from industrial work to information technology work. Why are educated professionals losing their jobs? Why is this happening? According to Rifkin, he believes the end of work is near. The three points of interest our massive unemployment, automation in factories and the dissolving of the middle class. In my opinion, the workers of today need to be flexible, versatile, and have cooperative skills in a changing economy. The employers are not only looking for highly skilled workers, but for people who are flexible, work well with others and have good problem solving skills. A worker must be flexible to be able to change and grow with the economy. The needs of employers are important in today’s job market. Flexibility goes hand in hand; with working with other people. Interaction with others and being a people -person builds stronger cooperative skills. Problem solving skills are a necessity for even the simplest of jobs. Having the ability to work through problems, to come up with a positive end result can be a long process. Cheaper labor can be found in other countries, which results in the closing of American factories or a cut in pay. Those still holding on to a job are being forced to work longer hours to make ends meet. I have personally seen my family and friends face this situation, growing up in the auto and steel environment as a child. As stated by Rifkin, â€Å"With each new indignity their confidence and self esteem suffers another blow.† (Rifkin 197) The most dramatic affect, according to Rifkin, is the â€Å"psychological death† experienced by the hard-core unemployed. As Rifkin puts it, after psychological death sometimes comes physical death. This clearly shows how changing one thing dramatically affects many things down the road. If we are aware and prepare for this situation we can make a difference. Rifkin’s claim that we are heading towards massive technological unemployment, this can be disputed by the unemployment figures for the last several years. My experience in the workplace, computer has created new positions. Even though, Rifkin believes it are not enough jobs. In my opinion, education is the answer to help and create workers in the information-technology field. Next, Rifkin claims our middle class is dissolving. According to the Department of Labor, for the past 3 decades, the classes have basically remained the same. In reality, most American wants to be successful either as blue-collar or white collar in society.