ICT and employment
Computer are used in some way in many aspect such as co
mmerce, manufacturing, banking, libraries, farming, medicine and in fact, in every aspect of the business world.
The automation of process enabled by ICT has led to unemployment in sectors that previously employed large numbers of workers to carry out a range of functions.
Warehousing: Robot store, move and collect items.
Self-service: Supermarket customers can service themselves at the supermarket.
Manufacturing: Robots assemble and paint items.
Manufacturers used to employ millions of people, but nowadays:
- Skilled workers such as technicians and machine operator maybe replaced by computer-controlled robots, which can work quicker and more consistently, for more hours.
- Dirty and dangerous jobs have been replaced by equipment fitted with sensors that monitor the environment and report issues.
Office personal used to think that their jobs were relatively safe, but:
- Databases have been enable offices to store data electronically. One person with a database is able to manage quantities data, so there is no longer any need for filing clerk.
- payroll calculation that were carried out by large numbers of clerks can now be done by one person with spreadsheet.
Emerging issues
Retraining – People need to be retrained to deal with changing nature of their work.
Deskilling – Some jobs require lower levels of skill to complete the processes need for the work.
Better working environment – Robots have taken over some of the dirty, difficult and dangerous task.
Reduced costs – Fewer people are required to carry out tasks.
Higher productivity – Automated processes can be set to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Consistency – Computer-controlled systems follow a program that defines the process to follow – so each process is exactly the same.
| Impact | Advantage | Disadvantage |
| Retraining | People who have been retrained can demand higher salaries as their qualifications and skills increase. | Some employees may find that they are unable to deal with the new demands-thus finding themselves unemployed or having to take on a lower-level job. |
| Deskilling | The dull repetitive work is eliminated and more job are created. | |
| Better working environment | Better working environment mean we can relax and don’t have to go outside to work in the hot sun and stay in door | Unemployment |
| Reduced costs | Earn money lesser | |
| Higher productivity | Work is done faster | People lose their job |
| Consistency | Always in a good standard |
Changes in how we work
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| Employee | |
| Travelling times reduced as worker only have to go into the office occasionally. This contributes to reduced stress levels. | Working from home can distracted other family members. |
| No need to dress appropriately and also it can reduce the cost. | Teleworker often work alone and miss out on the social side of working. |
| They don’t need to wake up early in the morning and can take regular break. | Lazy and not do work, also work may not be finish as no supervision. |
| Employer | |
| There is no need to pay for office space, so overhead are reduced. | It may be more difficult to manage as task as communication may be more complex-especially if workers are working in different time zones. |
| Employers have access to a wider pool of workers-there is no need to restrict work to one location. That could mean employing workers in another country. | Workers may not be available during normal working hours. |
| It more less stressful environment and sometime and also working at home would balance the time at home than at work. | It may be hard to control the employee if you are working at home rather than in an office. |
IGCSE ICT 