Technology has brought forth a myriad of advancements to how society operates, that both businesses and consumers have worked as efficient and as comfortable as possible. However, while this much is the case, it has also played job cuts and such as labors can now be automated at a fraction of the cost. Now, reports suggest that in a couple of years, robots may occupy job positions.
According to a research from the World Economic Forum, over 5 million jobs will be occupied by robots and lost to automation by 2020. White-collar workers such as those in the administrative and office segments are more likely at risk of being replaced.
Workers in the health care industry may also be at risk to be replaced by robots due to advances in telemedicine. Furthermore, women are put into higher risk due to their roles in sales and office jobs, while only a small portion of them work in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
Although robots will most probably take the administrative and office jobs, there will be openings in computer, mathematics, engineering and architecture fields. This, in perspective, would provide the data that men will gain one job for every three that are lost. On the other hand, women will gain one job for every five loss.
'To prevent a worst-case scenario - technological change accompanied by talent shortages, mass unemployment and growing inequality - reskilling and upskilling of today's workers will be critical,' World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab and Board Member Richard Samans explained. 'It is simply not possible to weather the current technological revolution by waiting for the next generation's workforce to become better prepared.'
The WEF conducted a survey in 15 countries to arrive at its figure, which makes up the 1.9 billion workers from China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. The only chance for workers to keep their positions would be in the form of retraining so that they will be able to adapt to the changes that technology constantly brings.
