Delaware photo processing job totals took big hit in past decade, declining jobs report indicates

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Delaware saw a sharp decline in the number of photo processing jobs over the past decade as automation took hold over the past decade.

That was one of the findings from a 50-state report from Commercial Cafe. While technology led to fewer jobs in some cateogires,  the rate of the decline due to automation  is the lowest in decades. The report used federal Bureau of Labor Statistics figures. 

 

The report took into account whether the jobs might have been replaced by automation or if key employers moved out of the state or nation.

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In the case of Delaware, automation (and the use of digital images) has led to a 97 drop in the processing category.

Neighboring Pennsylvania saw a more than 90 percent decline in chemical plant operators. Automation may have affected more than 80 percent of jobs in that category.

Maryland saw a more than 80 percent drop in the number of proofreaders and copy markers, with automation taking a heavy toll.  However, earnings in that category in Maryland  jumped by roughly $13,000 since the recession

In Wisconsin, the biggest drop came in airline pilots, a job category that was probably affected by an employer moving its operations elsewhere.

In most U.S. states the fastest declining occupations are in the industrial sector. The greatest drop in terms of percentage for industrial jobs was in Illinois, where the number of boilermakers within the state fell by 96%―going from 1,910 workers in 2009 to just 80 in 2018.

Despite the impact of automation the  share of jobs disappearing as a result of technological innovation is  the lowest it has been since the 1950s and 1960s, the report indicated. (See graphic below on job numbers).

Click here for the full report. 

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