Robotic technology to snatch 800 million jobs by 2030: Study

NewsBharati    01-Dec-2017
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Mumbai, December 1: A new study by McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) has found that robot automation will take over up to 800 million jobs around the world by 2030.

The study, conducted on 46 countries and 800 occupations, says that with a higher dependency on robot automation 20% of the global work force will no longer be needed while more than 33% of the workforce in developed nations may need to be retrained for other jobs.

 

Jobs related to machine operating and farming will be hit the hardest.

However, jobs in developing and underdeveloped countries will be less affected as they spend less GDP to invest in automation, the report says. For instance, only 9% jobs will be replaced by advanced technologies in India.

The experts particularly mentioned about professions especially prone to automation, such as mortgage brokers, accountants, paralegals, and supporting staffs.

On the other hand, jobs that require human interaction, such as doctors, teachers, journalists, and lawyers, are less vulnerable to automation, predicts the study. This category also includes specialized lower-wage jobs such as gardening, plumbing and care work.

The study also predicted that in developed nations, more people will be inclined to get higher education as future jobs will require more expertise.

In the US, 39 to 73 million jobs may be replaced by advanced robot automation by 2030. But the report aspires that 20 million of those displaced workers may be able to switch to other industries easily.

In the UK, 20% of the current occupations will be automated by the same period, experts say.

The experts have compared the situation with the “post-industrial revolution” period in 1900s, when much of the global industry had switched from farming to factory work.

Hence, new technological innovations will produce newer types of jobs, just like when the introduction of personal computers back in the 80s opened avenues for technology support work and online businesses.

The experts have urged the governments to adopt plans and take initiatives to retain their citizens.