Obsolete professions

The world has been developing rapidly since the industrial revolution of the 19th century. New devices and mechanisms are being created, and now computer programs that perform functions that used to be the prerogative of people. Accordingly, outdated professions that are irrelevant in the labor market are multiplying. Some of them are old, while others are gradually disappearing, such as a shoeshiner.

Nowadays, we do not need a special person who can clean our shoes. We can buy high-quality paint for leather and clean shoes and boots ourselves. Having the fact that now there is a huge selection of paints and cleaning tools, we definitely do not need a cleaner.

Shoeshiner is a profession whose representatives provide shoe-polish services to passers-by. The cleaning process is usually carried out on the street using a special stand. Shoe cleaners were often called shoeshine boy, since male children were often (though not exclusively) involved in this work. Initially, this profession was closely related to child labor. Boys tried to help their families, and many street children simply wanted to survive, earning in any way.

It is noteworthy that in the developed countries of the West this profession has almost died out, but in many countries of Asia and Latin America this type of activity has not lost its former glory, and even in India there is a trade union of shoe shiners and a special license for this type of activity!

Experts, analyzing the development of technology and the modern labor market, are actively discussing which professions will disappear by 2025 or by 2030. There are very different opinions, and they are based on various assessments of current trends. Everything is relative, and we can’t say exactly which specialties will become obsolete and which will appear soon.

Image by Oberholster Venita from Pixabay