One in ten Australian jobs at risk of automation
As the Australian economy begins its recovery efforts in tandem with the coronavirus pandemic slowing, a worrying statistic has been released about Aussie jobs.
The study, which was conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), warns that one in every 10 jobs is at risk of being automated.
The research concluded that the employment disruption will be felt unevenly across Australia, as cities and regional towns will be hit the hardest.
In comparison, wealthier and affluent urban areas face the least risk of jobs being automated.
The OECD believe that plant and machinery operators, as well as food preparation workers are among the employment sectors most at risk.
The report also says the demographics that will be hit hardest are young people, men and Indigenous people, as they are more likely to have declining job opportunities.
The regional towns where automation is said to hit have roots in the coal mining industries, as 40 percent of jobs in the New South Wales Hunter Region face some disruption while in Queensland's Mackay region it was about 41 per cent.
In comparison, Canberra and Sydney's eastern suburbs face the lowest risk of jobs lost through automation.
Teaching and health services are likely to remain safe from automation technology, as the pandemic saw a drastic increase in jobs in these areas over the last 12 months.
In order to protect existing jobs, the OECD says some workers will have their duties upskilled in order to save as many jobs as possible from the mundane tasks that automation can be utilised for.
Image credits: Shutterstock