Explanation should include
- employment/labor costs
- automation and outsourcing (and the pros and cons of each)
- robotics (e.g., production increase, cost of labor)
- political and social ramifications that accompany automation
- benefits (e.g., time to market, efficiencies in supply chain, environmental conditions for employees)
- drawbacks.
Teacher Resources:
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are examples of automated systems?
- What careers are associated with automated systems?
- What jobs have been eliminated over the past 50 years by automation?
- How can automation benefit the workforce when it eliminates some jobs while creating others?
- Why is automation sometimes considered a negative thing for employment?