According to a 1963 edition of the Effingham Daily News, Illinois Consolidated Telephone Co. switched from the switchboard system to the dial system at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, 1963. Thirty miles of cable supported the new high-tech system. It took four weeks to lay the telephone lines that allowed Effingham residents to directly connect to each other through the telephone. How does the switch from the switchboard system to the dial system impact the labor market for switchboard operators?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The switch to the dial system reduced the need for manual connection by operators, thus decreasing their value of marginal product as their role became less essential.

According to a 1963 Edition of the Effingham Daily News