As automation and online work gain ground, organizers of the annual Davos forum are projecting employers will split work equally between machines and people by 2025, with the coronavirus pandemic accelerating changes in the labor market.
The World Economic Forum said in a study released Wednesday that a new division of labor between humans and machines will upend and eliminate some 85 million jobs globally across 15 industries.
It predicted 97 million new roles will emerge in sectors like artificial intelligence, content-creation and "the care economy" involving children and the elderly.
Two years ago, the forum predicted 133 million more jobs would be created and 75 million lost.
WEF managing director Saadia Zahidi told AFP the "good news is that overall, the jobs that are being created still are in greater numbers than the jobs that are being destroyed," but she added the rate change will obviously make it difficult for workers to find their next role.
The report forecast a decline in jobs involving data entry, accounting and administrative support, while it pointed to upsides for "frontline workers" like nurses, grocery store workers, postal workers and care workers who have shown their importance during the COVID crisis.
It also calls on governments to do more to help workers by strengthening social safety nets, boosting educational offerings and providing incentives to invest in the jobs of tomorrow.
Conducted with private-sector partners, WEF's future jobs report is based on projections from business executives, generally in human relations and strategy divisions, representing nearly 300 companies worldwide that employ some 8 million people.
<Photo: Yonhap News>
