This book is already 13 years old, so what this book argues is like, "Ha, we experienced it already!" But still, this book provides a good logic of degradation of labor.
This book is about how the development of technology deteriorate our working conditions and ultimately our lives. Highly mechanized workplace does not need to have skilled workers, or a number of workers because machines take over work which used to require manpower and skills. Corporations are increasingly hiring temporary workers, instead of regular, full-time workers, because the labor of temporary workers is less costly and corporations do not need to pay benefits and allowances. Also, corporations are outsourcing as much as possible even to overseas. Technology expanded the area of outsourcing. Newspapers, for example, used to have their own printing press. However, nowadays they are more likely to outsource the printing process to outside printing companies. Thanks to the development of computer technology, they can transmit the data (the prototype of a paper) to printing companies via computer fast and easily. It is not a big deal to do corrections (correct typos, add the latest news, etc.) at the last moment even though the newsroom and the printing company are far apart because they are connected with computer.
While corporations are outsourcing, a number of jobs are lost in those corporations. Skilled, educated workers are not needed. Technology makes work easier and, therefore, unskilled, uneducated temporary workers cover that work. Middle-class workers lose decent jobs and reluctantly take up manual labor with meager wages for sustenance. They may not be able to sustain their lives with one job, and then, they may take up two or three jobs. Their working conditions become harsh. They become physically and mentally exhausted, which causes the rise in healthcare costs. However, because the majority of the nation is too poor to pay social security premiums, the healthcare system goes bankruptcy. Then, the functions of the sate are called in question. In any case, ordinary people’s life falls into a vicious cycle. While the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
I do not agree with the conclusion. He is too optimistic about the potential of the third sectors. He positively refers to the third sectors in Japan. However, I know many, or the majority, of the third sectors in Japan are not functioning as this book describes. They are tainted with trouble, and tax payers’ money is wasted on them.