the memory palace Episode 219: Lost Jobs
Jul 3, 2024
The podcast discusses the removal of certain jobs from a disability claims list, showcasing unique professions like processing microfilm and cutting press clippings. It reflects on obsolete jobs lost to technological advancements and societal changes, highlighting the decline of roles like dance hall hosts and telegraph agents.
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SS Administration Ends Outdated Jobs
- The Social Security Administration removed 157 jobs from its list of possible alternate occupations to avoid unfair claim rejections.
- This change protects disabled claimants from being forced into unreasonable jobs with highly specific or niche requirements.
Lost Manual Jobs and Skills
- Many jobs that involved manual, detailed physical and chemical processing are now extinct in the workforce.
- These lost trades carried unique smells, sounds, and skills that marked a vanished era of work.
Automation Ends Hands-On Jobs
- Some jobs, like magnetic tape winding and manual nut sorting, have been fully automated and no longer exist.
- Though automation reduces tedium and risk, it also eliminates social and meditative aspects of such work.