A smooth transition for society would take the cooperation of a government, the business leaders, and the labor force. That just doesn't seem like it will ever really happen in America, but I'd be hopeful of some other countries (smaller the better chance I'd guess).
Business will just keep seeking profit until the social issues start affecting them directly. That's just what they do best.
>I know it is a fairly complex problem as I have a hard time finding skilled developers for example
Start picking up some of those junior developer applications that you get. Obviously that's not the courier and printer guy, so maybe I'm missing your point, but a lot of the difficulty of matching employers to employees is the high (sometimes ridiculous) demands on the applicants because the employers believe they have the upper hand in the market. Appraising developer skill can be tricky business anyway, so you may have passed up the guy who can fill the spot if you're only checking to see if they have a few years of experience.
Business will just keep seeking profit until the social issues start affecting them directly. That's just what they do best.
>I know it is a fairly complex problem as I have a hard time finding skilled developers for example
Start picking up some of those junior developer applications that you get. Obviously that's not the courier and printer guy, so maybe I'm missing your point, but a lot of the difficulty of matching employers to employees is the high (sometimes ridiculous) demands on the applicants because the employers believe they have the upper hand in the market. Appraising developer skill can be tricky business anyway, so you may have passed up the guy who can fill the spot if you're only checking to see if they have a few years of experience.