A revolution is under way. The tech

A revolution is under way. The technology of computer science is having a dramatic on our lives, and the most immediate consequence of this technology is its impact on employment. Robots and computer-controlled machines have already joined the work force in highly industrializes contries, such as the USA, West Germany, and Japan. They have taken over routine jobs on the car assembly line, and in Volkswagen, for instance, three robots can replace ten men working on a two-shirt system. One giant American company has shown that it is now possible to replace half its 37.000 assembly workers with machines. Robots carry out tedious tasks with a high degree of reliability for an hourly "wage" of about $5 (the average cost of maintaining them). The average human worker on a car assembly line, in contrast, earns about $18 an hour.
There is obviously a lot to be said for releasing people from work that is often noisy, dirty, and even dangerous, and many workers can be retrained for more pleasant and interesting work. Nevertheless, competition is forcing employers to cut back the labour force. As one manager director put it. "Are you going to reduce yor work force by 25% by putting in robots, or by 100% by going out of bussiness?" As a result of automatic, workers are being sacked, and many will be permanently unemployed