BensGrandad
New member
Something that people overlook is the computer. I remember the first computer I worked on nearly forty years ago, it was little more than a calculator and was hugely expensive to buy and run. How many jobs have been lost to computerisation ? In engineering many jobs that were done by skilled worker are now done by machines that can do the same thing 24/7 and more accurately. How many clerical jobs are now done by a machine ? Sure computing has increased the need for IT specialists but I doubt that it has created the same number of roles it has replaced.
I remember years ago being told that Guinness at Park Royal had 100 people per shift, 3 shifts a day to brew Guinness but with the advent and bringing in of computers they changed this to 3 men per shift to keep their eyes on the computer. Also when I had my piub in Guildford we had a chap, a regular who worked for BAT and would quite often have a taxi turn up for him and he had to go to his office in Woking to sort out the computer to get the production line working again in Manilla.