By 2040, widespread automation in enterprises will lead to a reduction in the number of jobs in developed European countries by 12 million. reported analysts at the consulting firm Forrester.
According to their data, professions are most at risk, the essence of which is to perform routine and monotonous tasks that programmable robots and algorithms can easily handle.
“The loss of productivity due to COVID-19 is forcing companies around the world to automate manual processes and improve remote work,” said Forrester Principal Analyst Michael O’Grady.
He added that the pandemic is just one of the factors that has influenced the acceleration of automation. The aging population of the region also plays an important role in these processes. According to some estimates, by 2050, the five largest economies in Europe will have 30 million fewer people of working age 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 are sure that by 2040 green energy and robotization will create 9 million new jobs in Europe, especially in the areas of clean energy and smart cities.
Medium-skilled jobs, consisting of simple routine tasks, are most at risk of automation, analysts say. This is about 38% of the workforce in Germany, 34% in France and 31% in the UK. In total, about 49 million jobs are at risk, experts added.
Analysts believe that employers will pay more attention to improving the skills of employees and developing skills such as active learning, stress resistance and flexibility. Such personnel will complement the tasks of automating workers and will become more in demand.
Recall that in January, Swedish researchers said that artificial intelligence will replace people in about 30 popular professions.
In June 2021, one in five Russians expressed concerns about automation.
