If mechanisation lead to over half the electorate being unemployed.?

[Blobbenstein]

If the majority of the electorate became unemployed through mechanisation(robots etc) then how would that affect unemployment benefit?
I would guess that parties would promise good benefits in order to get into power. Would employed people get a lot more money in order for them to have an intensive to work?
Would the rich controlled media try to change the system so that unemployed people didn't or couldn't vote?

 

[Second Summer]

If the majority of the electorate became unemployed through mechanisation, then maybe the idea of a citizen's income would become attractive.

Another option would be to share the few jobs that were left, i.e. work fewer hours. (Not sure how realistic that is.)

Is there ever really no work that could be done? Assuming there was money to pay their salaries, we could increase the public sector and invent new types of jobs. Also, can robots make art? Can they design buildings? Program computers? I don't think so. All sorts of creative work still needs a human being.

 

[AeryFairy]

I like the idea of universal income, which reduces how necessary it is for people to work under a capitalist system. It greatly reduces worker exploitation, because people don't have to put up with crappy working situations just to survive. And it means that automation can be more readily embraced, because it's not then robbing people of jobs that they need.

 

[Blobbenstein]

Also, can robots make art? Can they design buildings? Program computers? I don't think so. All sorts of creative work still needs a human being.

it will probably be a while before people let robots near their teeth etc.

 

[ledboots]

it will probably be a while before people let robots near their teeth etc.

Urologists currently use robotics to perform surgery on men's genitals. Best if the patient is not conscious, I expect.

 

[Second Summer]

I just came across this on the BBC News, which seemed relevant to the discussion:

The Finnish government is considering a pilot project that would see the state pay people a basic income regardless of whether they work.

The details of how much the basic income might be and who would be eligible for it are yet to be announced, but already there is widespread interest in how it might work.

More: Finland considers basic income to reform welfare system - BBC News (20. August 2015)
(This is a centre-right coalition government, the prime minister is from the centre party.)

 

[Moll Flanders]

I think some people would prefer robots over humans for a lot of jobs but humans would still have to oversee the robots as there may be glitches, unless we can get robots who work to oversee the others. Some jobs we create are entirely pointless and made up anyway so humans would probably create more pointless jobs to find the poorer people something to do in case they riot or something.

 

[Moll Flanders]

You can check to see how likely it will be that you will be replaced by a robot.

Will a robot take your job? - BBC News

Intelligent Machines: The jobs robots will steal first - BBC News

ETA this was my last job
Youth and community workers
Likelihood of automation?
It's quite unlikely (13%)

 

[Moll Flanders]

The most endangered jobs of 2016 - Yahoo Finance