Economists Reveal 20 ‘Boomer’ Jobs Being Replaced By Machines

9. Mail Sorters

A very common entry-level job in the US Postal Service used to be mail sorters. Candidates must take the entry-level Postal Exam 473 in order to test speed and accuracy. Both factors were invaluable for mail sorters who needed to sort mail quickly. Of course, with any job performed by humans that requires speed and accuracy, errors are bound to occur. With this in mind, it’s no surprise the US Postal Service is rapidly moving its mail operations to automated sorting.

USPS mail sorting is becoming so advanced you can now even get emails with scans of your mail before they arrive in your mailbox. Unfortunately, this advanced technology has come at a cost to human workers, and researchers have found that when automation takes place, “The burden falls on the low-skill and especially middle-skill workers” (MIT, 2020). The move to automated sorting has eliminated many well-paying unionized postal service jobs. While we have gained some speed and accuracy, many middle-class jobs have been lost. Society will have to reckon with the human cost of automation.