Technology and automation has led to much greater efficiencies and output for every human in the workforce over the last 50 years. How come this hasn’t led globally to less working hours or a shorter work week for the average worker?

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EDIT: Replace ‘every human in the workforce’ with ‘most people’. I agree efficiency has not been gained equally across all professions.

In: Economics

36 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

Simple answer is the higher efficiency is directed towards higher profits for the people at the top rather than easing the workload for the people at the bottom. When the workload becomes smaller due to new technology you just fill the extra time with extra work

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because business owners feel that if you reduce working hours (without losing efficiency mind you) and not cutting pay you are somehow robbing them. They need to feel that you are working hard for your pay.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The gains have almost entirely gone to those at the top. Research the increase in ceo pay, relative to average worker pay, over the last 50 years and there is your answer.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Drops in working hours have historically been obtained through collective bargaining, which has declined over the past 50 years.

Anonymous 0 Comments

The endless money printing from the federal reserve has been winning the war on technological deflation. The wage gap is wider and the average worker can afford less than they used to. Basically you’re poor as shit and stuff is dirt cheep. Just look at the price of assets that are less affected by technological deflation like real estate and precious metals.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Because then businesses would have to pay people for productivity, not hours. Hours work out more predictable and cheaper.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Corporate greed. It is in their best interest to have a consumer population that relies on convenience. People that are overworked (40 hours a week, plus travel, meals, home maintenance, etc) pay for fast food and easy make meals. They buy cars so they don’t have to use their precious limited leisure time waiting for public transportation. They pay for cable and streaming services and video games. They need specialists to do their taxes and home projects because they don’t have time to learn how to do it themselves. _And_ if everybody is overworked, pressed for time _AND_ short on cash, they won’t notice/care/have time for the _big_ problems, freeing up big business to buy governments, destroy the planet and abuse their workers.

_Every_ time in the history of capitalist labor that someone has suggested that laborers should be safer/better compensated/have more rights, businesses have pushed back, whining about menial cuts to their profits like Dudley whining about getting 36 presents when last year he got 37.

8 hour workday?? We’ll go out of business!

OSHA regulations? We’ll go out of business!

No more child labor?? We’ll go out of business!

Maternity/paternity leave? Health insurance? Minimum wage? Environmental protections? Weekends?

It never ends.

Anonymous 0 Comments

How about the specialization of work ? I mean, this created more jobs as well right ?

Previously we did not have positions for product managers, social media workers, several thousand content producers , photographers , etc , etc?

Hasn’t the specialization of labour created more jobs than was removed from automation?

Anonymous 0 Comments

contrary to popular belief, automation isnt automated.

theres a team of engineers and programmers behind automation, the work has just shifted from brute force to intellectuals.

we also have a lot more than we used to.

100 years ago, no one was making cell phones. we didnt have the time.

Anonymous 0 Comments

Look at the CEO pay vs average workers from 50 years ago. Now look at it today. That’s where the difference lies.