Inthelast12yearstotalemploymentintheUnitedStatesgrewfasterthanatanytimeinthepeacetimehistoryofanycountry–from82to110millionbetween1973and1985–thatis,byafullonethird.Theentiregrowth,however,wasinmanufacturing,andespeciallyinno–blue-collarjobs… Thistrendisthesameinalldevelopedcountries,andis,indeed,evenmorepronouncedinJapan.Itisthereforehighlyprobablethatin25yearsdevelopedcountriessuchastheUnitedStatesandJapanwillemploynolargeraproportionofthelaborforceInmanufacturingthandevelopedcountriesnowemployinfarming–atmost,10percent.TodaytheUnitedStatesemploysaround18millionpeopleinblue-collarjobsinmanufacturingindustries.By2010,thenumberislikelytobenomorethan12million.Insomemajorindustriesthedropwillbeevensharper.Itisquiteunrealistic,forinstance,toexpectthattheAmericanautomobileindustrywillemploymorethanone–thirdofitspresentblue-collarforce25yearshence,eventhoughproductionmightbe50percenthigher. Ifacompany,anindustryoracountrydoesnotinthenextquartercenturysharplyincreasemanufacturingproductionandatthesametimesharplyreducetheblue-collarworkforce,itcannothopetoremaincompetitive–oreventoremain“developed.”Theattempttopreservesuchblue–collarjobsisactuallyaprescriptionforunemployment… ThisisnotaconclusionthatAmericanpoliticians,laborleadersorindeedthegeneralpubliccaneasilyunderstandoraccept.WhatconfusestheissueevenmoreitthattheUnitedStatesisexperiencingseveralseparateanddifferentshiftsinthemanufacturingeconomy.Oneistheaccelerationofthesubstitutionofknowledgeandcapitalformanuallabor.Wherewespokeofmechanizationafewdecadesago,wenowspeakof“robotization“or“automation.”Thisisactuallymoreachangeinterminologythanachangeinreality.WhenHenryFordintroducedtheassemblylinein1909,hecutthenumberofman–hoursrequiredtoproduceamotorcarbysome80percentintwoorthreeyears–farmorethananyoneexpectstoresultfromeventhemostcompleterobotization.Butthereisnodoubtthatwearefacinganew,sharpaccelerationinthereplacementofmanualworkersbymachines–thatis,bytheproductsofknowledge. 1.Accordingtotheauthor,theshrinkageinthemanufacturinglaborforcedemonstrates______. A.thedegreetowhichacountry’sproductionisrobotized B.areductioninacountry’smanufacturingindustries C.aworseningrelationshipbetweenlaborandmanagement D.thedifferencebetweenadevelopedcountryandadevelopingcountry 2.Accordingtotheauthor,incoming25years,adevelopedcountryorindustry,inordertremaincompetitive,oughtto______. A.reducethepercentageoftheblue-collarworkforce B.preserveblue–collarjobsforinternationalcompetition C.acceleratemotor–canmanufacturinginHenryFord’sstyle D.solvetheproblemofunemployment 3.Americanpoliticiansandlaborleaderstendtodislike_____. A.confusioninmanufacturingeconomy B.anincreaseinblue–collarworkforce C.internalcompetitioninmanufacturingproduction D.adropintheblue–collarjobopportunities 4.Theword“prescription”in“aprescriptionforunemployment”maybetheequivalentto______ A.somethingrecommendedasmedicaltreatment B.awaysuggestedtoovercomesomedifficulty C.somemeasurestakeninadvance D.adevicetodire 5.Thispassagemayhavebeenexceptedfrom________ A.amagazineaboutcapitalinvestment B.anarticleonautomation C.amotor-carmagazine D.anarticleonglobaleconomy