CRITICAL
THINKING
1. Workers on the manufacturing floor are being replaced by robots and other machines. On
the one hand, this lets companies compete with cheap labor from other countries. On the
other hand, automation eliminates many jobs. Are you concerned that automation will
increase unemployment or underemployment in the United States and around the world?
Why or why not?
2. Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) has revolutionized the production process.
What will such changes mean for the clothing industry, the shoe industry, and other
fashion-related industries? What will they mean for other consumer and industrial
goods industries? How will you benefit as a consumer?
3. One way to create new jobs in the United States is to increase innovation among new
graduates from engineering and the sciences. How can the United States motivate more
students to major in those areas?