The percentage of jobs in the US that are considered “technology jobs” has been continually increasing. The 2020 pandemic has put this transition on warp speed. Even though we have experienced record levels of unemployment, many tech workers are thriving in this economy. In some industries there has been a massive shift away from traditional business models to technology-driven services. For example, the entertainment industry has been forced to move away from in-person experiences to at-home streaming.

Recently our IT Team at JUSDA decided to participate in the GS1 2020 Hackathon. This is the first time any of us have ever done a hackathon and we ended up taking first prize! GS1 is the standards organization that defines the UPC barcode labels that you see on most consumer products. They also defined the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) standard which is commonly used for pallet labeling in the logistics industry.

Severe job losses which have been triggered by the pandemic have disproportionately affected workers in the service and retail industries. These lower-skilled jobs have traditionally served as an economic fail-safe for non college-educated workers. However the lingering effects of COVID-19 could permanently damage these industries and eliminate a large portion of these jobs. Although all industries have been affected, there is strong evidence that the technology sector will recover quickly. To adapt to the new reality, many companies are looking to digitize their businesses.

We are frequently reminded of the cyclical nature of technology. All of us working in tech are under constant pressure to look for the next shiny thing. In fact we feel as if our livelihoods depend on it. Often our stakeholders may have an expectation that there’s some new thing on the horizon that will give them a competitive advantage. But ultimately it’s not the shiny new tech that helps you beat your competitor.