how machines destroy (and create!) jobs, in 4 graphs - health care appliances

For hundreds of years, people have been talking about machines taking jobs from people.
Less discussed is the machine that creates new jobs.
In the first half of the 20 th century, agricultural technology-
Tractor, fertilizer-
This means that a farmer can suddenly grow more food.
So we don't need so many farmers.
Technology has destroyed a lot of agricultural work.
But the technology also makes food cheaper, so people have more money to spend on other things like TV, radio, and newly invented appliances.
The factory work is booming.
Other sectors are also growing;
There are many middle-class economies in the middle of this century.
White-collar jobs like secretaries and bookkeepers.
The next major technological change took place in the second half of the 20 th century.
The robots in the factory and the computers in the office automate the work created by many early technologies in the early part of the century.
You can see the ups and downs of these sections in the chart below.
Over the past few decades, manufactured goods have become cheaper as factory automation has improved.
This allows many Americans to spend more money on services.
Eat more outside and spend more money on health care and education.
These sectors remain Labor.
And continue to increase jobs.
But this could change as computers become smarter and more common.
A few last-
Frankly, it's not surprising at all.
Jobs have been disappearing for more than a century.
In the 20 th century, it was never a good time to be a blacksmith.