Catherwood LibraryILR School

For over 300 years, employees in industrialized societies have feared the loss of jobs due to advancing technology, a fear that has been realized at a slow pace, primarily in manufacturing jobs, until 2000. The recessions of the 21st century, however, have created a continuing downward pressure on wages and the availability of work for full-time employees. Three factors have contributed to a growing displacement of jobs– the emphasis of capital over labor, decreasing numbers of prime-age working males, and the growing ability of technology to encroach on human-oriented occupations. As jobs are displaced, the traditional value of work is uncertain. Will Americans adjust to and welcome a life of more leisure?