The new classification method reflects the heterogeneity of jobs and limits the number of categories. Of course, some occupational categories have benefited from the massive switch to computers while other occupations have been eliminated. Computers and data workers display strong complementarity. The pervasive use of computers in these workers' tasks may be explained by the highly codifiable nature of these workers' knowledge. With the assistance of the computer, data workers have become the driving force in the codification process.
Goods work is the only category in which the number of jobs has declined over the past two decades.
The widespread use of software for the production and handling of goods has certainly contributed to the job losses. The study also yields significant conclusions about the changing role of computers in the employment structure. A comparison of the influence of physical capital and of computers between 1971 and 1991 demonstrates that the impact of computerization on employment has increased considerably over time. By 1986, the impact of computers on employment had increased to the point where computer impact generally exceeded that of physical capital. This finding reflects the accessibility, power and increased flexibility of computers since the mid-1980s.