@Ring 6
I can't reply to your post because you, yet again, screwed up the reply function.
But.....
Your whole reply is based on a ridiculous premise which is that all of the established manufacturing isn't already automated. If 99% of the products are not new products ( that's not an accurate number but nevertheless ) then those products are already automated unless it's a uniquely customizable product.
You're arguing with a 1950's mentality. Products today start out as prototypes and grow, upon acceptance or success, into automated products. No job losses rather higher skilled operators making more product.
Potato chip factories, soda factories etc etc are all fully automated.
Nobody, in this century is using 100,000 employees to make a prototype product or any product manually. Hahaha
Once that product hits saturation you stop adding automation lines.
Oddly you seem to accept that manufacturers need automation to compete and to provide jobs but argue that automation replaces jobs although those jobs would not exist without automation. Strange position even for a bean counter.
I've been in this field at various levels for twenty five years and have not seen "force reductions" at all rather the opposite. Company grows and hires more people.