Is Technology Stealing Your Job?
16 February 2015
Read by 2235 persons
For at least twenty years, we have been talking about the impact of technology in our lives. More specifically, we have the impression that more and more human jobs are, or will soon be, replaced by computerized systems, new, more efficient technologies, etc. Is this fear well-founded?
Not at all, if we are to believe the global employment creation survey conducted by Ernst & Young last June. Indeed, more than 80% of the entrepreneurs surveyed stated that their investments in technology allowed them to hire new employees. Technology would therefore be a key driver of job creation.
"We are far from the machine replacing man; on the contrary, we work hand in hand," says Luc Charbonneau, partner and head of entrepreneurship at Ernst & Young in Quebec. The main advantage of technology, as demonstrated in the survey, is the mobility of the workforce. "Remote work, for example, allows us to find the best employees, wherever they are in the world," explains Luc Charbonneau. In some regions where skilled labor is scarce, this advantage is fundamental. In addition, teleworking also impacts costs, since employees working from home cost less. These savings can then be reinvested in the company's activities.
Good news for Canadians
But does this mobility of the workforce, and the ability to draw on expertise from anywhere in the world in a few clicks, not risk losing jobs locally? Not in Canada, believes Luc Charbonneau. "We see that it has more of an impact on other countries. Here, it's positive, on the contrary! It has allowed more Canadians to find a job," he confirms.
Unsurprisingly, it is in the technology sector that companies have shown the highest employment growth rate in the country, at 36%, compared to 25% for other sectors. Another interesting figure: 76% of entrepreneurs surveyed plan to increase their workforce by an average of 19% over the next year.
Takwa Souissi.
Workopolis.com
Posted online February 16, 2015.
Not at all, if we are to believe the global employment creation survey conducted by Ernst & Young last June. Indeed, more than 80% of the entrepreneurs surveyed stated that their investments in technology allowed them to hire new employees. Technology would therefore be a key driver of job creation.
"We are far from the machine replacing man; on the contrary, we work hand in hand," says Luc Charbonneau, partner and head of entrepreneurship at Ernst & Young in Quebec. The main advantage of technology, as demonstrated in the survey, is the mobility of the workforce. "Remote work, for example, allows us to find the best employees, wherever they are in the world," explains Luc Charbonneau. In some regions where skilled labor is scarce, this advantage is fundamental. In addition, teleworking also impacts costs, since employees working from home cost less. These savings can then be reinvested in the company's activities.
Good news for Canadians
But does this mobility of the workforce, and the ability to draw on expertise from anywhere in the world in a few clicks, not risk losing jobs locally? Not in Canada, believes Luc Charbonneau. "We see that it has more of an impact on other countries. Here, it's positive, on the contrary! It has allowed more Canadians to find a job," he confirms.
Unsurprisingly, it is in the technology sector that companies have shown the highest employment growth rate in the country, at 36%, compared to 25% for other sectors. Another interesting figure: 76% of entrepreneurs surveyed plan to increase their workforce by an average of 19% over the next year.
Takwa Souissi.
Workopolis.com
Posted online February 16, 2015.
