Discussions

Computers were supposed to make a paperless society. Nope. Fax machines one paper turned to 4 at minimum.  
The sent is one, the other end was two. The reply and the reply of that reply etc.  
 
Well luckily emails and printers fixed that (not).  
 
Made up positions is a real issue.  
 
Here is a fact. A Nursing Home in Brandon opened years ago. No expansion same size. Residents while more difficult number the same.  
 
Front line staffing numbers are pretty close to the same numbers. All mandated numbers so they say. Staff per resident. Office Staff started at 4. Five or so years back it hit 25. All in the age of time saving computers and a paperless office.  
 
Construction - well seen it and too many people driving around looking and not doing. Good OP.

Fax machines are almost obsolete, most companies are scanned and sending electronically, reducing on paper waste or digitally signing which eliminates the need for paper all together. You also have to consider the savings in postal costs, and time to send.

A quick read on the predictions of the early twentieth century that countries would achieve lower work weeks due to technology.  
http://strikemag.org/bullshit-jobs/

Enjoyed the link, but wonder why the professor of anthropology failed to realize that this is not something new.  
If we go back and look at the earliest societies, or communities, one would see the same thing, there where tasks given to people who in reality served very little purpose. The earliest communal groups of people sought food, clothing and shelter for it's members, and members were expected to contribute, this gave them the right to be part of the community. As the world of production changed, and those who produced anything began producing more than was needed by their own communal group the barter system evolved, which led to new ideas of what was needed to expand trade. The barter system led to money which led to commercialism. We have a system that must produce jobs that pay money so that the whole thing doesn't collapse, and with a growing global population the task of creating productive jobs becomes more difficult, if one factors in the competive factor of different standards of living in different parts of the world.  
Just my opinion, but I think we have the largest level of unnessary jobs in the countries with the highest standards of living. I have always had this hang up with the idea of critical mass, which means any model will collapse at a certain point, have a feeling that it applies to societies that continue to create jobs which don't really add to the economies of countries by new production and really only adds to an increase in unit cost of new production.

Sorry if my comment was a little muddled, was watching a movie and no coffee.

on-second-thought said "Fax machines are almost obsolete, most companies are scanned and sending electronically, reducing on paper waste or digitally signing which eliminates the need for paper all together. You also have to consider the savings in postal costs, and time to send. "

Yep faxes are near gone. Yet they sure added paper to the office.  
 
Still today with emails and such there still is a lot more paper in offices than there should be. It seems scanned and sent electronically just means a paper copy scanned and sent. Then 50 many copies printed on the other end so everyone at the meeting(s) can go over the details. lol. A fax machine on steroids.