>So, the fact that you think those jobs are "unskilled" reflects a lot of how, as a society, we have come to trivialize a whole economic activity that was rende

>So, the fact that you think those jobs are "unskilled" reflects a lot of how, as a society, we have come to trivialize a whole economic activity that was rendered obsolete by technology. Not really. By "unskilled" labor, I mean the entry level positions that traditionally didn't require much schooling, and could learn and become proficient at their jobs rather quickly. In other words, the traditional low-level secretary or clerk positions that a lot of people had as their first jobs out of college or high school. Now, if you were competent, they would promote you, which is what happened with your mother, I'm sure. Unfortunately, the loss of those entry level positions also means that career path, which defined a LOT of people's lives, is removed. Honestly, I think that's the bigger issue here, because it was possible for an entry-level employee with an unskilled position to learn the craft and get promoted to a position that would now only be given to a skilled employee with an education. That simply isn't the case anymore, and that's what really is hurting certain segments of the job market.