Millennial Attitudes about Repetition – With Millennials not having an interest in repetitive work and boring tasks, what is going to happen to the manufacturing industry in coming years?

There are several mitigating factors here. It is more than just manufacturing that is being affected. Retail stocking, call center work, and a variety of other service sector areas all come to mind. Some of this will be eliminated by technology as robots absorb more and more of the these positions to ensure quality, cut costs and address the shortage of quality applicants. Technology will also enable some of these tasks to be turned into game- or simulation-oriented formats thereby providing an entertainment aspect that will promote retention and help workers pass the time. Immigration will also play a role. While we broadly assign a moniker of impatience to Millennials, we are talking primarily about those born in the US. Whether anyone is willing to admit it or not, the so-called work ethic that many immigrants bring with them is out-performing our native born workforce. Their off-spring my not possess it, but the first generation immigrants do. The work may also be redesigned to encourage team performance incentives. This will appeal to Millennials who tend to be more team-oriented anyway and might enjoy the competition and fun of competing to beat another team or a performance standard, especially if it allows them more flexibility in the workplace. Finally, the way the work is compensated may change, much to the chagrin of the unions. Piecework can be a mighty incentive and we may see a morphing of the collective bargaining agreements within many sectors over time simply because the unions do not have the strength and leverage they once did coupled with the threat of off-shoring more and more of the work. Abuses will be kept in check by labor laws and other regulations.