JOB AUTOMATION
Author: Nandini Bhandarwar
Automation in jobs and business
Alina Sorgner, (2017) explains the role of automation in jobs and business. As per this research, workers in high-risk occupations are likely to suffer from career transition, losing their job, or being demoted due to automation. Automation, however, is creating new business ventures in low-risk professions and not pushing individuals towards entrepreneurship due to necessity. The report highlights job polarisation, where high- and low-skilled occupations rise but middle-skilled occupations fall. It also illustrates how automation benefits industries that rely on creativity, problem-solving, and social intelligence. To stay competitive in the job market, workers in high-risk professions are encouraged to learn new skills. Automation spurs innovation and firm growth, the report says, even as it puts some jobs at risk. Ultimately, automation is reshaping the labour market and promoting entrepreneurship as well as killing jobs.
Automation is not possible for every job
Melanie Arntz et al 2017) works challenges the widely held belief that automation poses a threat to nearly half of all jobs. According to the authors, these projections overestimate job losses since they do not account for differences in work within the same profession. They found that the actual danger of automation in the U.S. drops from 38% to just 9% when looking at specific job tasks. Most occupations require human skills like problem-solving, creativity, and social interaction which are hard for computers to replicate, even though some tasks can be automated.
Automation is Changing Jobs
Alexandre Georgieff & Anna Milanez, (2021)examines the impact of automation on employment during the last ten years in 21 different countries. The study concludes that, in spite of worries, automation has not resulted in a significant loss of jobs nationwide. Indeed, employment has increased in each of the countries under study. However, the growth of low-risk jobs was 18%, while that of high-risk jobs was just 6%, suggesting that automation has affected some jobs more than others. Although fewer people are joining the workforce with less than a higher degree, the concentration of low-educated workers in high-risk occupations has not decreased, nor has their overall employment level. However, over time, higher-risk occupations have seen a decline in job tenure and job stability for older workers. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated automation as businesses look to reduce their reliance on human labour. Automation has increased efficiency and output, but it has also caused issues for certain workers. The study indicates that in order to help people adjust to more stable and sustainable occupations, governments and businesses need to prioritise reskilling initiatives, social protections, and education reforms.
How Automation Affects Job Safety and Skills
(Tom Coupe, 2019) examines survey results to ascertain whether specific job attributes increase employees’ sense of security. It reveals that workers who have jobs that need face-to-face communication are less concerned about automation. Expert views are contradicted by the fact that creativity does not substantially lessen job instability. The rivalry from lower-paid workers and inadequate management are other concerns shared by people who dread automation. Interpersonal skills are more important for job stability than innovation, according to the study. Additionally, it emphasises that other variables also contribute to fears about job loss, thus automation is not the only threat to jobs. According to the research, measures pertaining to automation cannot completely eradicate employment uncertainty. Better management and staff reskilling are instead required for long-term employment stability.
Partial Automation and Deskilling of Routine Jobs Through Technology
Downey, Mitch, (2021) explores how automation simplifies tasks instead of displacing workers entirely. Because of this, jobs that previously needed medium-skilled labour can now be completed by low-skilled workers. Although technology has made certain activities easier, such as inventory management, human monitoring is still necessary. Technology-enabled deskilling is a process that lowers skill requirements without displacing jobs. Additionally, the study discovers that automation adoption is impacted by minimum wages. While a low minimum wages promotes automation by making it more affordable to hire people in addition to technology, a high minimum wage inhibits it. According to the study, industries that depend on low-skilled people automate less in high-wage statesusing data from the United States from 1980 to 2005. Although this can lead to employment openings, it also decreases demand for medium-skilled workers, which exacerbates wage disparity.
Digitalization and Automation Can Improve Jobs
Demerouti (2022) stated if automation and digitisation are designed to help employees, they will result in more satisfying and healthy working environments. The research highlights that whenever workers are faced with new mental and cognitive issues, employment requirements will change, requiring more training and skills. Technology can improve productivity, but it may increase demands on employees and possibly lead to job insecurity. The writer emphasizes that to reconcile these demands, work resources such as autonomy and opportunities for learning need to be provided. Work-life conflicts, job dissatisfaction, and more stress may result from digitalisation, unless managed properly. Workers need to be engaged in technology design and implementation to avoid undesirable consequences. Fair income distribution and working conditions should also be guaranteed by policymakers. To give their work greater meaning, employees should be encouraged to participate in job crafting. In the end, technology should be utilised to enhance work quality rather than merely productivity.
Jobs and Automation in Freight and Warehousing
Jaller et al (2023) states The UC Davis policy brief looks at how transportation and warehousing jobs will be affected by automation. Although automation increases productivity and security, its impact on jobs varies. While it’s unlikely that many jobs would be lost in the near future, senior truck drivers might quit their jobs. Jobs in warehousing may increase, but issues with employment quality still exist. Costs can be cut by automation, but wages may also decline and layoffs may rise. Expanded job training and social safety nets are necessary since current worker retraining initiatives are insufficient. Legislators must strike a balance between worker protection and technological advancement to guarantee that everyone benefits economically.
Automation and Job Loss in South Africa’s Auto Industry
Bianca I Chigbu & Fhulu H Nekhwevha, (2022). According to a study on job automation in South Africa’s automotive industry, the assembly line is only 20% automated, the paint shop is 80% automated, and the body shop is entirely automated. Employee deskilling, job losses, and the relocation of existing employees to departments that may someday be automated are all consequences of the automation trend. Despite increased vehicle manufacturing, automation has led to stagnating job levels, even though it improves productivity and quality. For efficiency and cost savings, employers place a high priority on automation, with robots taking the place of humans in numerous fields. Nonetheless, human knowledge is still needed for some tasks, especially in assembly and quality inspection. Although trade unions, especially NUMSA, support worker reskilling and oppose job losses, corporate decisions frequently disregard their concerns. The report emphasises that retraining is crucial since automation disproportionately impacts mid-skilled occupations. It makes the case that proactive policies will be necessary to lessen the social and economic effects of the trend towards increased automation. Lastly, for sustained industrial expansion, automation and job security must be balanced.
Robot and job worries
Henrik Schwabe and Fulvio Castellacci ( 2020) discusses how industrial robots are influencing Norwegians’ attitudes towards their jobs. Some employees lose their employment as businesses use more robots, while others who are employed but fear being replaced in the future. Even though they are not yet directly impacted, this dread alone lowers their level of job satisfaction.
Approximately 40% of workers are scared that machines will take over their jobs. Based on survey data from 2016 to 2019, the study concludes that roughly 40% of workers fear that their occupations will be replaced by machines. This fear, though, varies from person to person. Because they perform repetitive, easy-to-machine tasks, low-skilled workers are more anxious. High-skilled individuals, however, are less impacted because automating their tasks is more difficult. According to the study, employees who consistently feel unsafe at work are less motivated, more stressed, and less productive. Businesses and the economy may suffer as a result in the long run. The majority of studies concentrate on how automation alters employment and pay, but this study demonstrates that it also has an impact on workers’ emotions and mental health. As technology continues to advance, the report recommends that governments and businesses provide training and new job opportunities to make employees feelmoresecure.
Impact of automation in tourism and hospitality industry
Stanislav Ivanov, (2020) discusses about the effect of automation’s impact on the hospitality and tourism industry. With businesses adopting chatbots, robotic assistants, and smart check-ins, AI, robotics, and self-service technologies boost productivity and cut expenses. Although automation produces jobs in technology management and maintenance, it also makes processes easier and raises concerns about job loss. Despite the long-term benefits, the expensive cost of automation can be a barrier for smaller businesses. Reduced personal connection, which is essential for tourist happiness, is one of the issues. To encourage ethical automation, ethical concerns including data privacy and security hazards must be regulated. A balanced approach that incorporates both automated systems and human intelligence is proposed by the author. Governments and corporations must encourage workers to reskill in order to adapt to technological advancements. Results may be best achieved with hybrid service models that combine automation and human interaction. In order to prevent unintended economic and social repercussions, the essay concludes that although automation offers cost and efficiency advantages, careful deployment is required.
CONCLUSION
Automation has significantly impacted the tourism and hospitality industry, leading to increased productivity and reduced costs. Ethical concerns such as data privacy and security hazards need to be regulated to encourage ethical automation. The impact of automation on employment has varied across different countries, with a growth in low-risk jobs but concerns about job stability for older workers in higher-risk occupations. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated automation, leading to increased efficiency and output but also causing issues for certain workers. Better management and staff reskilling are required for long-term employment stability. Workers in high-risk professions are encouraged to learn new skills to stay competitive in the job market. The actual danger of automation drops when looking at specific job tasks. Proactive policies will be necessary to lessen the social and economic effects of increased automation. Transportation and warehousing jobs will be affected by automation, with potential job losses for senior truck drivers and issues with employment quality. The influence of industrial robots on workers’ attitudes towards their jobs is significant, with fear of job replacement impacting job satisfaction and productivity. Automation and digitisation can result in more satisfying and healthy working environments, but also increase demands on employees and potentially lead to job insecurity.
REFERENCES
Alexandre Georgieff & Anna Milanez, 2021. “What happened to jobs at high risk of automation?,” OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers 255, OECD Publishing.
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Downey, Mitch, 2021. “Partial automation and the technology-enabled deskilling of routine jobs,” Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
Jaller, Miguel & D’Agostino, Mollie C. & Otero-Palencia, Carlos, 2023. “Jobs and Automation in the Freight and Warehousing Sector,” Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt6sf4z68w, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
Schwabe, H., & Castellacci, F. (2020). Automation, workers’ skills and job satisfaction. Plos one, 15(11), e0242929.
Stanislav Ivanov, 2020. “The impact of automation on tourism and hospitality jobs,” Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 205-215, June.
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