Reports of another wave of layoffs rekindle bad press...

Reports of another wave of layoffs rekindle bad press for Microsoft

Microsoft’s massive staff reduction, which shocked many when it was announced in July, is back in the spotlight with a pair of reports that the ax will come down on another group of employees Thursday.

It would be the second wave of job cuts in the plan to ultimately eliminate 18,000 positions, or 14 percent of the company’s staff, by the end of its fiscal year on June 30, 2015, according to reports this week from ZDnet and GigaOM, both based on anonymous sources.

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A Guy

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there

It's part of future changes -- the days of giant corporations with MEGA amounts of staff are - at least in the developed countries - actually OVER.

You can run an ENTIRE Brewery or even a Car Factory now with about 20 people !!! - This will become even more apparent as the manufacturing processes become ever more automated.

Our current business models based on large swathes of the population working 35 - 40 hrs a week are now no longer essentially fit for purpose -- the transition will be HIDEOUSLY painful (glad I'm not just STARTING my career these days !!) but in the long term stuff should be incredibly cheap (Robots don't need to be paid, don't go on strike, don't need holidays or "tea breaks", don't need to travel / commute).

The work environment will be very different in 2070 to what it is today -- future jobs will be more related to creativity and content - actual manufacturing or even routine stuff like Medical Diagnosis will at the first level be handled via a machine.

I'm not sure if people have actually worked out how to handle an essentially "jobless society" where costs of goods would be nearly zero and money became essentially redundant -- nothing to do with "Socialism" - but if everything was almost free money becomes redundant (what would those people on Wall st do in the future !!!).

The transition will be quite painful - but it's inevitable -- the factory / mass production using Human Labour was a late 19th early 20th century development and we are now entering a Post Industrial age where the need for loads of Human Labour is rapidly diminishing.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[adamf]

You can run an ENTIRE Brewery or even a Car Factory now with about 20 people !!!

Am I supposed to go to the brewery to get my beer then? It would be much more convenient if someone delivered it to a nearby bar. Is that what the car factory guys are supposed to do?

 

[jimbo45]

You can run an ENTIRE Brewery or even a Car Factory now with about 20 people !!!

Am I supposed to go to the brewery to get my beer then? It would be much more convenient if someone delivered it to a nearby bar. Is that what the car factory guys are supposed to do?

Hi there.

Driverless cars are on the way soon - so automated delivery can also become the norm.

Even the main Metro line (nr 1) in Paris (of all places) is being made driverless too. London now has virtually eliminated the need for Human ticket collectors and booking staff on its stations and Buses are all cashless - you can pay with a "Contactless" bank card and mobile phone scanner technology will replace even those soon,

Some things will still require Humans -- would you want a Robot bar tender or a Robot preacher !!! - perhaps Robot Politicians might make a good alternative though.

We are living in the last phase of the "Industrial Society" where large numbers of Humans are required for working -- might be sad but it could be liberating after the transaction is managed.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[adamf]

I'd be all for it. I'd prefer a car driven by Google than an car driven by a human playing with their new apple watch.