by Patrick Appel

A reader writes:

The problem we see in manufacturing and elsewhere is that technology is constantly allowing us to do more with less.  From a resource perspective this is vital if we're to continue to maintain economic growth in a world of finite resources.  However, this same innovation is also allowing us to be more productive with less employees.  We have factories full of robots to build our cars and computers.  Who needs a secretarial pool when you have e-mail, copy machines, and printers?