TECHNOLOGY TO HIT AUSTRALIAN JOBS
* Highly probable five million workers could be replaced by computers
* 39.6 per cent of workforce
* Further 18.4 per cent face medium probability jobs eliminated
Computers/automation will:
* Replicate aspects of human thought
* Disrupt way work conducted, expand competition, reduce costs to consumers
* Reduce workers' income
Jobs to disappear/be affected:
* Those with low levels of social interaction, creativity or mobility and dexterity
* Administration, sales, many service areas
* Telemarketers, accountants, estate agents, economists
* Most mines to operate with less than a third of current workforce, with significant number engaging remotely
* Same automation levels likely where routine operation the norm: agriculture, materials or cargo handling
* Increasing automation of routine office jobs: legal clerks, market research and sales, predictive analytics
* Health - automation in clinical data and predictive diagnostics, robotics assisting in surgery, nursing, hospital logistics, pharmaceutical dispensary
* Banking and legal advice - data and analysis play large role
* Redesign roles to be more automatable - growing fruit trees in particular shapes to allow robot picking, allocating special lines on road system for automated freight or car movements
Jobs least susceptible to automation:
* Technical professions, personal services
* Jobs in professional, technical and creative areas
Regions with high dependence on mining (particularly WA, Qld) to suffer bigger impact
Manufacturing should not be written off - drives innovation and technological change, contributes to external trade balance
Digital competency to join reading, writing, arithmetic as basic competencies for all workers
Concerted effort required to re-skill workers and transition them out of declining industries
Source: Committee For Economic Development of Australia research report Australia's future workforce
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