science

Job obsolescence

Job obsolescence is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Job obsolescence rather than just read about it. In short: Job obsolescence, occupational obsolescence or skills obsolescence, commonly shortened to jobsolescence, is a situation in which an occupation loses its field of work or its competitiveness is reduced compared to another more efficient one that fulfills the same function. This type of obsolescence is due to multiple factors, among the main ones are the development of new technologies that replace activities carried…

Key takeaways

Job obsolescence belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Job obsolescence to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Job obsolescence from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Job obsolescence, occupational obsolescence or skills obsolescence, commonly shortened to jobsolescence, is a situation in which an occupation loses its field of work or its competitiveness is reduced compared to another more efficient one that fulfills the same function. This type of obsolescence is due to multiple factors, among the main ones are the development of new technologies that replace activities carried out by humans, as well as trades and economic activities that use objects that are discontinued due to cost reduction or search for greater efficiency.

Job obsolescence It is common with the development of new technologies and the passing of the years, some occupations that were previously profitable later become obsolete. A specific case of this is the job of lamplighter, which progressively disappeared after the invention of electric lamps and their widespread use in street lighting. Experts in labor market and employability recommend to workers stay up to date on the time projections of the paid activities they carry out, as well as consider innovation as an important factor in their tasks. In most cases, particularly after the Industrial Revolution, the emergence of new technologies brings with it fears about the loss of work and careers by sectors of workers who would be directly affected by implementing the new functions. However, it has been proven that applying new functions always brings with it the creation of new job alternatives with the creation of new tasks and occupations within a productive chain. According to Gallup, by 2023, 22% of workers in the United States expressed concerns about losing their jobs due to the potential obsolescence of their roles as a result of technological advancements.

Obsolescence of skills

The evolution of the labor market, the increase and improvements in services with the use of new technologies that reduce the costs of processes, make them faster or of better quality, as happens with automation, it brings with it changes in the work skills of workers who perform a specific task. A common example that occurs with this is in computing, once new productivity software is released, such as office suites, or improved versions of these with new functions, users (office workers) must also stay updated with the use of these new systems. Otherwise, they will lose skills in their daily activities. The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), an agency of the European Union (EU), recommends in the face of these events that all parties involved in a production process, employer and employee, must take responsibility and take an active part in the face of the obsolescence of skills. In 1974, the educational technology expert Roger Kaufman defined the obsolescence of skills as "the extent to which professionals lack updated skills and knowledge", grouping them into two types:

Obsolescence of physical skills: related to wear, atrophy and natural deterioration that decreases a person's physical performance. Obsolescence of intellectual competencies: when skills and knowledge, as well as other resources, such as technique and experience, lose relevance or are no longer necessary. Obsolescence related to physical skills as a result of human aging is usually replaced with generational change.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Job obsolescence

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Job obsolescence claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Job obsolescence before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Job obsolescence ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Job obsolescence

In research: Job obsolescence appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Job obsolescence in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Job obsolescence is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics History of work, Obsolescence, Obsolete occupations, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Job obsolescence outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Job obsolescence in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Job obsolescence means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Job obsolescence out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Job obsolescence in simple terms?

Why does Job obsolescence matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Job obsolescence?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Job obsolescence.