Panera Bread has announced that it will be hiring an additional 10,000 delivery driver and in-store jobs as a consequence of something that some people might find surprising—automation:
ST. LOUIS, April 24, 2017 – Panera Bread (NASDAQ: PNRA) expects to add more than 10,000 new in-cafe and delivery driver jobs system-wide by the end of 2017 as it expands delivery service to 35-40 percent of its cafes by year end. Panera Delivery is the latest way Panera is meeting consumer demand for high quality food people can trust. Panera Delivery even further enhances the guest experience through industry-leading technology and Panera’s new delivery driver team.
“Panera is doing for delivery what we did for quick service – creating an elevated guest experience endto-end,†Ron Shaich, Panera founder, Chairman and CEO said. “In many places across the country, all that’s available for delivery is pizza or Chinese food. We’re closing the gap in delivery alternatives and creating a way for people to have more options for real food delivered to their homes and workplaces.â€
That’s not exactly what I’ve had in mind when I’ve pointed out that automation has always resulted in an increase in jobs rather than a decrease but I’ll take it.
I’m highly skeptical of the notion robots will take away all our jobs any day now. We’ve had major bursts of automation for over two hundred years now and the result has always been a larger market for labor. The current predictions of doom sound more like an excuse for bad policy.
What I’m actually seeing today is the Weaver’s Guild mobilizing successfully to prevent Jacquard looms from coming into the market.
However, I’m also concerned something that’s actually being caused by inadequate business investment is being blamed on automation. If automation were actually a major factor, it would show up in businesses’ balance sheets. It isn’t.
I have to admit I haven’t involved myself in any pronostigation regarding the relationship between robots and the loss/gain of jobs ratios. However, the Panera example seeds my interest.
“I’m highly skeptical of the notion robots will take away all our jobs any day now. ”
I am as well, but I’m also skeptical that there’s some iron law that technological change will never decrease the market or labor. Every transition is a grand experiment.