The Future of Work

As technological innovations enable jobs to be performed with little to no human assistance, some of the largest occupational categories in the US will be affected. These graphs predict jobs in food service, production and work, and mechanical installation and repair have the highest potential displacement rates. Notice that the jobs most prone to displacement are those that involve routine and physical tasks while jobs that involve human creativity or interpretation such as creatives and arts management, and health professionals have low displacement threats. The key to the right of the first graph also demonstrates that a college degree is relevant to increasing chance of an occupation in a field less affected by automation. Job displacement will not be based on a particular location as these occupations are distributed across the country.

Trends in race, age, and gender can also be seen in the people who work the jobs most likely to be displaced. Hispanic and African American workers are the most represented in these fields because of some lower educational access and attainment. The younger population will have the chance to redirect their career paths towards jobs that will persist with automation however the older population will encounter more difficulties if they are forced to switch after pursuing the same skill set for decades. Differences can be seen as well in the percentages of men versus women in the tech sector.



I think that technology will play a significant role in the future of work however I can’t currently imagine it taking it over completely. Technological advancements will certainly change the way jobs are carried out and will make humans jobs possibly easier and more efficient. Job displacement does not mean less jobs overall, it just means jobs will grow in different areas. For example, as the article explained, counter attendants and rental clerks may decline with automation, but more workers could be added to help customers in stores or to staff distribution centers. Looking ahead, and as we prepare to enter the workforce, socioemotional, creative, technological, and higher cognitive skills are the tools we need to be the most successful. Once again this ties back to the importance of higher education for success in today's technologically growing society.

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