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In the last 12 years total employment in the United States grew faster than
at any time in the peacetime history of any country – from 82 to 110 million
between 1973 and 1985 – that is, by a full one third. The entire growth,
however, was in manufacturing, and especially in no – blue-collar jobs…
This trend is the same in all developed countries, and is, indeed, even more
pronounced in Japan. It is therefore highly probable that in 25 years developed
countries such as the United States and Japan will employ no larger a proportion
of the labor force I n manufacturing than developed countries now employ in
farming – at most, 10 percent. Today the United States employs around 18 million
people in blue-collar jobs in manufacturing industries. By 2010, the number is
likely to be no more than 12 million. In some major industries the drop will be
even sharper. It is quite unrealistic, for instance, to expect that the American
automobile industry will employ more than one –third of its present blue-collar
force 25 years hence, even though production might be 50 percent higher.
If a company, an industry or a country does not in the next quarter century
sharply increase manufacturing production and at the same time sharply reduce
the blue-collar work force, it cannot hope to remain competitive – or even to
remain “developed.” The attempt to preserve such blue – collar jobs is actually
a prescription for unemployment…
This is not a conclusion that American politicians, labor leaders or indeed
the general public can easily understand or accept. What confuses the issue even
more it that the United States is experiencing several separate and different
shifts in the manufacturing economy. One is the acceleration of the substitution
of knowledge and capital for manual labor. Where we spoke of mechanization a few
decades ago, we now speak of “robotization “ or “automation.” This is actually
more a change in terminology than a change in reality. When Henry Ford
introduced the assembly line in 1909, he cut the number of man – hours required
to produce a motor car by some 80 percent in two or three years –far more than
anyone expects to result from even the most complete robotization. But there is
no doubt that we are facing a new, sharp acceleration in the replacement of
manual workers by machines –that is, by the products of knowledge.
1.According to the author, the shrinkage in the manufacturing labor force
demonstrates______.
A.the degree to which a country’s production is robotized
B.a reduction in a country’s manufacturing industries
C.a worsening relationship between labor and management
D.the difference between a developed country and a developing country
2.According to the author, in coming 25years, a developed country or
industry, in order t remain competitive, ought to ______.
A.reduce the percentage of the blue-collar work force
B.preserve blue – collar jobs for international competition
C.accelerate motor – can manufacturing in Henry Ford’s style
D.solve the problem of unemployment
3.American politicians and labor leaders tend to dislike_____.
A.confusion in manufacturing economy
B.an increase in blue – collar work force
C.internal competition in manufacturing production
D.a drop in the blue – collar job opportunities
4.The word “prescription” in “a prescription for unemployment” may be the
equivalent to ______
A.something recommended as medical treatment
B.a way suggested to overcome some difficulty
C.some measures taken in advance
D.a device to dire
5.This passage may have been excepted from ________
A.a magazine about capital investment
B.an article on automation
C.a motor-car magazine
D.an article on global economy
