The increased adoption of manufacturing technology such as 3D printing, automated manufacturing, and bio manufacturing has led to the creation of new service-based jobs that were previously non-existent. However, investment in technology has also resulted in job loss in industries that rely on manual labor for production.
China has a significantly larger number of manufacturing facilities than the US, however, the focus is now on creating more sophisticated technologies to move up the value production chain, from assembly lines to automated manufacturing, and bio manufacturing. With the surge of the middle class, there is a shift towards information-based economies with higher-paying jobs.
The advent of automation has led to a decline in labor-intensive tasks as machines are more efficient, but it has also led to the creation of new industries like Uber, Etsy, and YouTube. Higher-order services jobs have emerged and upgraded the capabilities of factories in a world where automation is increasingly essential.