By 2040, widespread automation at firms will reduce the number of jobs in developed European countries by 12 million. This сообщили analysts at consulting firm Forrester.
According to their data, the professions most at risk are those that involve performing routine and monotonous tasks, which programmable robots and algorithms can easily handle.
“The loss of productivity due to COVID-19 is forcing companies worldwide to automate manual processes and improve remote work,” said Michael O’Grady, chief analyst at Forrester.
He added that the pandemic is only one of the factors accelerating automation. An aging population also plays a significant role in these processes. By some estimates, by 2050 there will be 30 million fewer people of working age in the five largest European economies than in 2020.
Job losses due to automation will subsequently affect European workers in wholesale and retail trade, transport, housing, food service, and leisure and hospitality.
At the same time, analysts say that by 2040 green energy and robotics will create 9 million new jobs in Europe, particularly in the fields of clean energy and smart cities.
Mid-skilled occupations consisting of simple routine tasks are most at risk of automation, the analysts say. This concerns 38% of the workforce in Germany, 34% in France, and 31% in the United Kingdom. In total, about 49 million jobs are at risk, the experts added.
Analysts say that employers will devote more attention to upskilling staff and developing such skills as active learning, resilience and flexibility. Such personnel will complement automation of tasks and become more in demand.
Earlier this year, Swedish researchers said that artificial intelligence would replace people in about 30 popular professions.
In June 2021, one in five Russians expressed concerns about automation.
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