dolution

An article in the Wall Street Journal on the use of driverless trucks at Rio Tinto’s Australian mines observes, “The new equipment cut many driving jobs… . But the reductions will be partly offset by new types of work. The company now needs more network technicians … a hybrid of electrical and mechanical engineering that hardly existed five years ago.” Is it likely that total employment at Rio Tinto’s mines will have increased or decreased as a result of its use of robots? Are the average wages Rio Tinto pays likely to be higher or lower? Are the wages of the truck drivers who were replaced by robots likely to end up higher or lower in their new jobs? Briefly explain your answers.