Is advanced automation consistent with sustainable economic growth in developed world?

Abstract

This paper investigates the impact of automation and new globalization phenomenon, outsourcing on sustainable economic growth. Its main scope is to analyze the impacts of automation technology and offshore outsourcing in manufacturing on a structural unemployment. Simultaneously, in the paper is given a special emphasis to the automation driven shrinking of the middle class in countries that are passing to the phase of deindustrialization. Finally, Three Laws of Automation in Manufacturing are formulated and few ideas and recommendations for the future are outlined. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.