Job at risk from automation? Don't worry, it's all for the best, claims Deloitte study
New jobs outnumber and out-pay the ones lost as a result of automation, claims Deloitte
The automation of jobs via the use of technology and robotics is benefiting the UK, claims consultant Deloitte in newly released research.
It analysed Office of National Statistics (ONS) labour force survey data between 2001 and 2015, and matched changes in employment in what it considered to be jobs at low risk, medium risk and high risk of automation.
Deloitte's research suggests that in the past 15 years, the occupations with the lowest risk of automation have created 3.5 million jobs while those occupations with the highest risk have lost 800,000 jobs.
Occupations classed as at high risk from technology automation include bank and post-office clerks, who have lost 100,000 jobs, according to the data, and personal assistants, where 210,000 were lost totalling almost 50 per cent of positions during the period of study.
Meanwhile, there has been a large increase in jobs in sectors where employees are at low risk of automation. These include care home workers and home carers, which have seen growth of 55 per cent, with 275,000 new jobs.
One of the biggest boosts to employment came from business and financial project managers, who are deemed to be at very low risk of being automated out of work. There have been 170,000 new jobs in this sector, representing growth of 842 per cent over the past 15 years.
The report also suggests that each job created in one of the fastest-growing lower-risk occupations pays £10,000 more than the higher-risk, routine job they replace, with Deloitte (gu)estimating that these new jobs have added £140bn to the UK economy.
"Our work shows the automation of jobs - and a shift from brawn to brains - is well underway in every nation, and region of the UK. But we appear to be benefiting from this, not losing out," said Angus Knowles-Cutler, vice chairman of Deloitte.
"Technology is replacing the high-risk, routine occupations in the UK economy but we are seeing good growth in the creative, caring and complex jobs at less risk of automation, as well as increased economic value from these," he continued.
Knowles-Cutler argued that with sectors such as technology, high-tech manufacturing and financial and professional services likely to be key to future job growth, the UK is in a good position to benefit from the automation of certain types of jobs.
"This bodes well for the UK in dealing with the impact of technology on jobs, as it always has done," he said. However, Knowles-Cutler also warned that we must ensure that people, especially the young, have the skills required to adapt.
"But we cannot be complacent. Business, educators and government must work together to ensure young people enter the workforce with the skills suited to the jobs of tomorrow and those already in work are able to reskill during their careers," he said.
A previous Deloitte report suggested that technology, automation and robotics will change the face of the UK labour market in the next 20 years, with more than a third (35 per cent) of existing jobs at risk of being replaced.
And Deloitte's research comes after Gartner suggested that artificial intelligence could make a better workplace manager than a human because "it always makes the right decision and never has a bad day".