Review of the Literature

The purpose of this work is to analyze the technical and organizational impact of automation on job skills and the degree to which they are upgraded, downgraded and computerized, as well as the extent to which work is shifted between occupations. Automation, collective bargaining agreements and labour relations and control over the labour process are key issues which are explored in analyzing these changes. In order to assess specific changes in skill, data are presented separately for each occupation, describing, analyzing and comparing conventional skills and those used with automation in its various forms. Comparisons are also made between occupations to understand the differences in impact of automation on skills and those factors that affect control over these skills in production.