<p>A few points to note.</p>

<p>1.) <strong>With more labor comes more goods that need to be produced.</strong> This can be in the form of goods, services, or capital needed to augment the production of labor. If we are talking about whether there are enough raw/natural resources needed to make these things as population increase, note that your worry is not new. As population increases, we create more efficient ways of using the resources we already have. Think of our usage of resources/labor as a transversality condition. As time approaches infinity, the population will not grow faster than the rate of our technological efficiency, simply because of the need to survive. In the meantime, we'll be utilizing additional labor.</p>

<p>2.) I noticed that you had said,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>In America, over 300 million people and most already in poverty.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>You could make the argument that more than 150 million Americans are in poverty, but that measure of "poverty" is going to include a lot of well-off Americans. <strong>I'm not exactly sure what idea of poverty you have to reach this conclusion</strong>.</p>

<p>The US Census Bureau's measure of poverty has been hovering around 15% for a while. That's not great, but that's not necessarily worsening rapidly by any means.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>automation is increasing so rapidly it is expected that by 2025, even truck driver jobs will start to diminish</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'd like to see exactly who said this as well, if you have the citation. Otherwise it's just hearsay.</p>

<p>I think your uncles and aunts have been influencing you with a little bit of their hindsight bias.</p>

<p>3.) You noted that,</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Retailers are already shutting down due to online competition from Amazon and restaurants are getting there too with tablets being placed at tables to take orders.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><strong>Does this necessarily decrease labor or displace labor into other jobs that value human labor more?</strong> A quick example: Line workers in the United States have been declining steadily over the last decade, and many of them are reaching retirement age. It pays well and is manual labor, but there simply aren't enough interested young workers. If we were to see too much labor in technology-heavy industries, we could say that eventually the labor market would clear and go into well-paying jobs like this one. There <em>are</em> still opportunities out there for Americans.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T22:51:57.890Z
wrt automation and truck drivers, I have read that one of the first jobs to go when driverless cars become prominent is  those of truck drivers. Highway driving is far less technical. This is a moot point though.
Jamzy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-19T02:03:11.903Z
So I know I've said this a lot but I'm 22 and graduating with a degree in Online Journalism.  I have many little cousins as young as 1 and old as 12.  They just started middle school and are so brilliant, I want to see them all have happy great lives.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  If we work hard and save smart, keep up with advances, even with income inequality, will life likely be alright in the US?
Bruno1993
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-19T02:05:58.923Z
It seems like unless you're technology oriented in IT and programming for example, any other skill is next to useless.  Right?
Bruno1993
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-19T02:49:05.973Z
In that industry, perhaps, but who says labor intensive skills aren't transferable to other labor intensive industries (spoiler: there will always be labor intensive industries).
Kitsune Cavalry
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T19:15:58.643Z
2015-11-18T19:15:58.643Z
Kitsune Cavalry
<p>Is America headed to a point of too many people, not enough work?  Is life for an average American better than 50 years ago?  I have asked about automation in my first question.  Then I've asked a couple of others but I guess I am asking too general?  I read it should be more precise.  America was a strong nation for many for a long time; now it looks like it just going that way for a few.  think so?</p>

<p>50 years ago would being us to 1965.  My Aunts and Uncles are very old, I'm 22, and they all say the same thing about people as young as me; "What future will they have?"  In some countries population is lowering so much they actually want people to have more kids because of not enough jobs being filled.  In America, over 300 million people and most already in poverty.  If this was 1965 people would be more optimistic.  Now, this decade, technology has come so far in what it can do, not as many humans to none are needed to do certain things anymore.</p>

<p>In the last 50 years taxes are higher, jobs are outsourced to other nations instead of being done by Americans here, automation is increasing so rapidly it is expected that by 2025, even truck driver jobs will start to diminish.  Retailers are already shutting down due to online competition from Amazon and restaurants are getting there too with tablets being placed at tables to take orders.  Another bad factor facing the nation is the rise of income inequality.  Standard cost of living has raised high while wages have stagnated in some places or lowered in others.   The rich are richer than ever, but most of us apart from them have such a small portion of the wealth of America for the work we do or investments we've made.  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-17T21:03:28.130Z
How do you figure that taxes are higher now? [This](http://www.scribd.com/doc/190499803/Fed-U-S-Federal-Individual-Income-Tax-Rates-History-1862-2013) seems to indicate that taxes are drastically lower now than they were 50 years ago
costrom
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-17T22:39:25.023Z
There are a some factual inaccuracies in this question. 300 million and most in poverty? Higher Taxes? When you say retailers are shutting down due to amazon, what you are actually saying is that there is a structural shift away from brick and mortar stores. I think what you are looking for is some sort of guide to welbeing. Objectively, we are far better off than the 60s, particular if you are anything other than white. Your concerns relate more to crony capitalism and income inequality. Welbeing is rising and technology has been an incredible driver of this.
Jamzy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T17:31:53.433Z
Wasn't this asked a few times this week already?
BB King
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-19T02:07:28.313Z
My worry for myself and many others is that if technology jobs are not for u (ex: can't handle programming or IT work, business...) does tat mean likely we won't have a good future because in a world where technology is becoming rapidly involved in all, can we still have jobs?
Bruno1993
<labor-economics><productivity><welfare>
Is America getting to a point where there are many more people than jobs or money to go around? Are times better or worse than 50 years ago?
Bruno1993
# Is America getting to a point where there are many more people than jobs or money to go around? Are times better or worse than 50 years ago?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-17)

Is America headed to a point of too many people, not enough work? Is life for an average American better than 50 years ago? I have asked about automation in my first question. Then I've asked a couple of others but I guess I am asking too general? I read it should be more precise. America was a strong nation for many for a long time; now it looks like it just going that way for a few. think so?

50 years ago would being us to 1965. My Aunts and Uncles are very old, I'm 22, and they all say the same thing about people as young as me; "What future will they have?" In some countries population is lowering so much they actually want people to have more kids because of not enough jobs being filled. In America, over 300 million people and most already in poverty. If this was 1965 people would be more optimistic. Now, this decade, technology has come so far in what it can do, not as many humans to none are needed to do certain things anymore.

In the last 50 years taxes are higher, jobs are outsourced to other nations instead of being done by Americans here, automation is increasing so rapidly it is expected that by 2025, even truck driver jobs will start to diminish. Retailers are already shutting down due to online competition from Amazon and restaurants are getting there too with tablets being placed at tables to take orders. Another bad factor facing the nation is the rise of income inequality. Standard cost of living has raised high while wages have stagnated in some places or lowered in others. The rich are richer than ever, but most of us apart from them have such a small portion of the wealth of America for the work we do or investments we've made.

**Tags:** labor-economics, productivity, welfare

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How do you figure that taxes are higher now? [This](http://www.scribd.com/doc/190499803/Fed-U-S-Federal-Individual-Income-Tax-Rates-History-1862-2013) seems to indicate that taxes are drastically lower now than they were 50 years ago  
> **username_2**: There are a some factual inaccuracies in this question. 300 million and most in poverty? Higher Taxes? When you say retailers are shutting down due to amazon, what you are actually saying is that there is a structural shift away from brick and mortar stores. I think what you are looking for is some sort of guide to welbeing. Objectively, we are far better off than the 60s, particular if you are anything other than white. Your concerns relate more to crony capitalism and income inequality. Welbeing is rising and technology has been an incredible driver of this.  
> **username_3**: Wasn't this asked a few times this week already?  
> **username_0**: My worry for myself and many others is that if technology jobs are not for u (ex: can't handle programming or IT work, business...) does tat mean likely we won't have a good future because in a world where technology is becoming rapidly involved in all, can we still have jobs?  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2015-11-18. Score: 1

A few points to note.

1.) **With more labor comes more goods that need to be produced.** This can be in the form of goods, services, or capital needed to augment the production of labor. If we are talking about whether there are enough raw/natural resources needed to make these things as population increase, note that your worry is not new. As population increases, we create more efficient ways of using the resources we already have. Think of our usage of resources/labor as a transversality condition. As time approaches infinity, the population will not grow faster than the rate of our technological efficiency, simply because of the need to survive. In the meantime, we'll be utilizing additional labor.

2.) I noticed that you had said,

> In America, over 300 million people and most already in poverty.

You could make the argument that more than 150 million Americans are in poverty, but that measure of "poverty" is going to include a lot of well-off Americans. **I'm not exactly sure what idea of poverty you have to reach this conclusion**.

The US Census Bureau's measure of poverty has been hovering around 15% for a while. That's not great, but that's not necessarily worsening rapidly by any means.

> automation is increasing so rapidly it is expected that by 2025, even truck driver jobs will start to diminish

I'd like to see exactly who said this as well, if you have the citation. Otherwise it's just hearsay.

I think your uncles and aunts have been influencing you with a little bit of their hindsight bias.

3.) You noted that,

> Retailers are already shutting down due to online competition from Amazon and restaurants are getting there too with tablets being placed at tables to take orders.

**Does this necessarily decrease labor or displace labor into other jobs that value human labor more?** A quick example: Line workers in the United States have been declining steadily over the last decade, and many of them are reaching retirement age. It pays well and is manual labor, but there simply aren't enough interested young workers. If we were to see too much labor in technology-heavy industries, we could say that eventually the labor market would clear and go into well-paying jobs like this one. There *are* still opportunities out there for Americans.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: wrt automation and truck drivers, I have read that one of the first jobs to go when driverless cars become prominent is  those of truck drivers. Highway driving is far less technical. This is a moot point though.  
> **username_0**: So I know I've said this a lot but I'm 22 and graduating with a degree in Online Journalism.  I have many little cousins as young as 1 and old as 12.  They just started middle school and are so brilliant, I want to see them all have happy great lives.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  If we work hard and save smart, keep up with advances, even with income inequality, will life likely be alright in the US?  
> **username_0**: It seems like unless you're technology oriented in IT and programming for example, any other skill is next to useless.  Right?  
> **username_4**: In that industry, perhaps, but who says labor intensive skills aren't transferable to other labor intensive industries (spoiler: there will always be labor intensive industries).  

---

