On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump’s message of saving American jobs from outsourcing won him the U.S. elections and made him the 45th President of the United States. Some commentators then suggested that the greatest threat to American jobs was not from outsourcing but from the advance of technology.

However, a quick look at the history from the time of the Industrial Revolution onwards shows that the opposite is true. The massive shift towards greater use of technology in the workplace over the past century did not decimate jobs but, in fact, created a much more dynamic workforce with versatile skills.

Over the course of the 20th century, this approach contributed significantly to the elevation of many nations to the superpower status they still enjoy today.

Pall-Pack AB is a company that embodies the spirit of innovation and technological advancement that drove the Industrial Revolution. Specialized in packaging, they offer a range of end-to-end solutions that allow their clients to deliver their products safe from accidental damage and environmental factors.

The right packaging systems and solutions allow their clients to not only cut down on the amount of time required to deliver packaged products but also save on overhead and material costs in the process. By using intelligent packing methods, Pall-Pack AB minimizes the weight of the packaging, which in turn also contributes to reduced transportation costs.

The same advantages follow upon delivery of the finished product – the correct level and style of packaging allows the recipient to receive their products intact while reducing the amount of time required for the unpacking process.

None of this would have been possible had Pall-Pack AB not taken lessons from the automation of the U.S. economy and the evolution of industry over the course of the last century.

At the turn of the last century, about 40% of the U.S. workforce was employed in agriculture. The number today is less than 2%. Yet, the incorporation of technology into farming did not contribute to mass unemployment.

Quite the contrary, these developments diverted the workforce away from traditional farming; they created a boom in jobs that provided better pay and better work conditions. The next generation of would-be farmers enjoyed a world of possibilities that their forefathers could not imagine.

Jobs associated with agriculture - for example, in transport, infrastructure and research - have created a new world of possibility for individuals who would otherwise only have had menial labor as an employment option. They ate better food, had access to wider knowledge and higher education, enjoyed greater disposable income and became the epitome of the Great American Dream.

There would have been a similar apprehension by the labour force in the last century as they saw the machines that were designed to replace them. However, that trend toward industrial automation in direct farming spawned a boom in production, employment and income.

In a world where bottom lines and annual profit reports matter, it would be naïve to assume that every step taken towards automation is taken with the employee in mind. However, the lesson from history is that, regardless of intent, the demonstrable results of the shift drive entire nations and their citizens to a bigger and brighter future.

If we can rid ourselves of the fear of change, it is hard to dispute that the potential for a cleaner, safer and better world lies in automation.