Thursday, January 30, 2014

Jobs of the Future

The internet has changed just about everything. Just look at the music industry, the book industry, and the newspaper industry. Those areas have all been transformed by the internet. So what about the jobs of the future? What will they be and what will they look like? If the previous industries are any indication, the jobs of the future will involve more and more individual endeavors rather than corporate endeavors.

About 100 years ago, our world experienced the final move from a mostly agrarian economy to an industrial one. We went from most people working on a farm a providing most of what they consumed for themselves and others, to most people working in factories and depending on others for what they consumed. We went from individual production to corporate production. Now thanks to the internet, we are experience a move back to individual production.

The jobs of the future will be more individualistic and focused on producing original and custom products. These types of jobs will require greater creativity, continued learning, cooperation among small groups, and personal responsibility and motivation. Unfortunately our modern societies are still focused on producing workers for the industrial age. It is going to be interesting to see how we adapt to the coming changes.

What do you think?

Monday, January 27, 2014

Stock Market

Stocks sold off over the last few days. They are down about 4% from their highs. Is this just a short pull back, a correction, or the start of a crash? A pull back or correction is overdue. If the sell off continues traders will panic and then there will be a crash. Time will tell. A pull back or correction would be good for the markets as it needs to take a breath. If a panic ensues then we will all suffer as there will be less money in the economy to hire people and to drive growth, all of which we do not need at this point. We need solid growth and increasing spending in the private sector. We also need less spending and growth in the public sector since that is a drag on the economy.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

The economy

I think the economy is going to take a turn for the worst here in 2014. Why? Because there is nothing to drive increasing revenue. I think most people are tapped out and thus spending will slow down. As that happens more and more employers will start laying people off and closing location which means there will be less money in the system and thus, more of a slow down. December 2013 is going to be the high water mark for the stock market and for our economy.