Editing Information Age (section)

===Automation, productivity, and job gain===
The Information Age has affected the workforce in that [[automation]] and computerization have resulted in higher [[productivity]] coupled with net [[Unemployment|job loss]] in manufacturing. In the United States, for example, from January 1972 to August 2010, the number of people employed in manufacturing jobs fell from 17,500,000 to 11,500,000 while manufacturing value rose 270%.<ref>{{cite web |last = Smith|first = Fran|date = 5 October 2010|work =[[Competitive Enterprise Institute]]|url =http://www.openmarket.org/2010/10/05/job-losses-and-productivity-gains/ |title= Job Losses and Productivity Gains|url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013114215/http://www.openmarket.org/2010/10/05/job-losses-and-productivity-gains/ |archive-date=2010-10-13 }}</ref> Although it initially appeared that [[Unemployment|job loss]] in the [[industrial sector]] might be partially offset by the rapid growth of jobs in information technology, the [[Recession of 2001|recession of March 2001]] foreshadowed a sharp drop in the number of jobs in the sector. This pattern of decrease in jobs would continue until 2003,<ref>Cooke, Sandra D. 2003. "[http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/DE-Chap2.pdf Information Technology Workers in the Digital Economy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621073347/http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/DE-Chap2.pdf |date=2017-06-21 }}." In ''Digital Economy''. [[Economics and Statistics Administration]], [[United States Department of Commerce|Department of Commerce]].</ref> and data has shown that, overall, technology creates more jobs than it destroys even in the short run.<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Yongsung |last1=Chang |first2=Jay H.|last2=Hong|date=2013|title=Does Technology Create Jobs?|url=http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/89556690/does-technology-create-jobs |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429045823/http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/89556690/does-technology-create-jobs |archive-date=2014-04-29|journal=SERI Quarterly|volume=6|issue=3|pages=44–53|access-date=29 April 2014}}</ref>