Economy
The U.S. Metros Most at Risk from Automation
In Dalton, Georgia, more than two-thirds of jobs are at risk for automation, according to a new analysis.
Dalton, Georgia, has long been known as the “carpet capital of the world.” In the early 2000s, Dalton produced almost half of the world’s carpet. Walking down the city’s carpet row—a stretch of carpet mills that spans a portion of Interstate 75—you could see miles of carpet mills, whirring activity as wool was spun and knots were tied. There were more than enough jobs for anyone who needed work.
Things are very different today. The economic crisis of 2008 hit Dalton’s carpet industry hard. Under the pressure of global competition, its carpet manufacturers laid people off and replaced human labor with robots. Although it still remains the nation’s “Carpet Capital,” that no longer means good jobs that require a low skill level to perform.