The human race should be braced for robots taking 5.1 million of our jobs, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has warned.
In a report titled 'The Future of Jobs' it explained how we are on the cusp of the fourth industrial revolution - one that is shaped by the rapid growth of technology.
Describing the trends we should expect, the report states: "more than 5.1 million jobs lost to disruptive labour market changes over the period 2015–2020, with a total loss of 7.1 million jobs—two thirds of which are concentrated in routine white collar office functions, such as Office and Administrative roles—and a total gain of 2 million jobs, in Computer and Mathematical and Architecture and Engineering related fields."
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While impending doom may not seem that far away, the study does present the problem as an opportunity for employers to equip workers with a more secure skills set.
According to the WEF, in order to out perform our robotic competition, we will need to foster skills around critical thinking and creativity.
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Another worrying development the report predicts, is how the "tech revolution" will exacerbate the gender gap already present in today's work force.
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"Men will face nearly 4 million job losses and 1.4 million gains," while women will face 3 million jobs losses but only 0.55 million gains," the authors write.
These conclusions are based on a survey of more than 13 million female and male employees across nine broad industry sectors in developed and emerging economies.