Re:Reports Coming in of Big IBM Layoffs Underway in the U.S.
by dredmorbius on Friday March 04, 2016 @04:23PM
(#11226960)
There's a professor, Economics at Harvard IIRC, who points out some telling characteristics of cities in this regard. Those with large numbers of smaller firms are far more creative in the long run than those with small numbers of large ones. Specific contrast were NYC and its garment district vs. the large industrial cities of Pittsburgh (steel) and Detroit (autos). Ironically, it's the cities which most successfully employ division of labour and assembly-line techniques which are penalised most harshly.
Link in a sec....
Benjamin Chintz came up with the theory. Edward Glaeser is the lecturer.
https://plus.google.com/104092656004159577193/posts/3uGHCweF...
I see 4 ways to mitigate this:
1 - Live somewhere that has many companies or be prepared to move.
2 - Keep in contact periodically with everyone who respects your work. (Don't make the "Hey it's been 5 years" call one where you're asking for a favor)
3 - Always keep learning.
4 - Communicate in your customer's language. If you are strictly an ActionScript expert, you are very narrowly pegged if you haven't learned iOS on the side. But if the buyers of technology view you as "A mobile expert who makes brands come alive across many devices" then you can survive technology switches.
4.5 - Help others before you need help.
In the grand scheme it's still better to be a laid off technology worker than a laid off steelworker. I still feel their pain though - it sucks to lose your job, especially if family is involved.