America's top business leaders admit that they would rather hire robots then employ humans.
A recent survey of Harvard Business School alumni found that 46 percent would rather have robots perform their company's labor then hire people to do the same work. Another 49 percent said their business would rather outsource labor, meaning obtain services overseas where it's cheaper, than hire Americans.
The annual survey, done to assess the future of U.S. competitiveness, found that only 29 percent of respondents preferred people to mindless drones and 30 preferred to hire people rather than outsource.
"Our survey reveals that business leaders in America are reluctant to hire full-time workers," the study authors wrote.
Aside from the depressing news that firms prefer robots over people, the survey raises fears that society's so-called job creators are not creating jobs, The Huffington Post pointed out.
"Firms invest most deeply in full-time employees, so preferences for automation, outsourcing, and part-time hires are likely to lead to less skills development," the authors wrote.
This means fewer people are receiving the training needed to obtain high-level technology jobs, leading to a rise in unqualified applicants. Even in times of high unemployment, the number of job listings remain high. There were 9.8 million unemployed Americans in May. But there were 4.6 million available jobs that same month.
"The unemployed must be staying jobless, it is reasoned, because they lack the skill to fill the positions," the study reads.
In the meantime, while the Ivy League alums are pondering America's economic state, low-income workers across the nation are fighting for $15 an hour wages in the fast food industry.
