The subject of automation and its role in our economy has taken hold in American public discourse. Technology broadly and automation specifically are dramatically reshaping the way we work. And we need to have a plan for what’s still to come.

        We don’t have to look further than our own communities to see the devastating impact of automation. From automated warehouses to cashierless grocery stores to neighborhood libraries that offer self-checkout lanes instead of employing real people—automation is increasingly replacing jobs and leaving too few good new jobs behind.

        The statistics in manufacturing are staggering. Despite the widespread fears about trade, a recent report showed that just 13 percent of jobs lost in manufacturing are due to trade—the rest of the losses have been due to advances in technology.

        That is why more people are criticizing the ever-increasing role of technology in our economy. Our country is manufacturing more than ever before, but we are doing it with fewer workers. However, it’s not just factories that are seeing losses—software and information technology are also having a dramatic impact on jobs most people think are secure from the forces of a rapidly-changing economy. Something transformative is happening in America that is having an adverse effect on American families. Whether policymakers and politicians admit it or not, workers have made clear their feelings about their economic insecurity and desire to keep good jobs in America.

        So why are people so insistent on ignoring the perils of automation? They are failing to look ahead at a time when planning for the future is more important than ever. Resisting automation is futile: it is as inevitable as industrialization was before it. I sincerely hope that those who assert that automation will make us more effective and pave the way for new occupations are right, but the reality of automation’s detrimental effects on workers makes me skeptical. No one can currently say where the new jobs are coming from or when, and any sensible company or country should prepare for all alternatives.

        I’m not overstating the danger: look at what’s happened to the labor force. According to economic research, one in six working-age men, 25-54, doesn’t have a job. Fifty years ago, nearly 100 percent of men that age were working. Women’s labor force participation, meanwhile, has slipped back to the level it was at in the late 1980s.

        American families and prominent business leaders are aware that there’s a big problem with automation. The value of a college degree is diminishing, and our upward mobility is declining. If we want an economy that allows everyone to be economically secure, we need to start thinking about how we can rightfully address automation.

解析：B。根据题干中的a recent report可定位至文章第三段第二句。该句提到，尽管人们对贸易普遍感到担忧，但最近的一份报告显示，制造业中只有13%的失业是贸易造成的，其他的失业都是技术进步造成的。由此可知，贸易对失业造成的影响并没有人们想象的那么严重，也就是说人们对贸易影响的担忧被夸大了，B项与此内容相符，是对第三段第二句的近义转述，故B项为正确答案。

错项排除：A项利用文中的manufacturing和declining进行拼凑，但第四段第二句说我们国家的制造业比以往任何时候都要多，A项与此相悖，故排除。C项利用第三段第二句的the widespread fears about trade进行干扰，但这是说人们对贸易普遍担心，并不是说对贸易的恐惧已经蔓延到很远的地方（spreading far and wide），故C项排除。D项利用文中的impact、trade、employment和staggering进行拼凑，但拼凑完的内容与文意不相符，故排除。