Earn
Why 1.5m Australians could be out of work by 2030
One and a half million Australians are set to lose their jobs to automation by 2030 as technology overtakes traditional workers, a new report has revealed.
Why 1.5m Australians could be out of work by 2030
One and a half million Australians are set to lose their jobs to automation by 2030 as technology overtakes traditional workers, a new report has revealed.
Forrester’s latest report has shown Australia’s workforce will shrink by 11 per cent, with one in two cubical jobs — such as employees in finance, accounting, and procurement who perform highly structured administrative tasks — likely to be the first replaced by automation.
Physical workers, location-based work and single-domain and function-specific tasks are also likely to be augmented by automation in the short term.
The study also found Australia’s high minimum wage could be a barrier for hiring, with firms said to choose automation over hiring new staff.
“Australia’s consistently high minimum wage means that some categories of low-skilled roles have already felt the impact of automation,” the report said.
According to Forrester, automation will create real change in how we get things done, with business and government told to plan for the transformation of human work.
It stated the changes will come in waves, with the high uncertainty likely to leave many leaders in a difficult position.
“Act too slow, and risk falling behind; act too quickly, and generate unnecessary complexity and confusion,” the report reads.
“Some of the biggest challenges that firms face in embracing automation technologies relate to culture and change management,” said Sam Higgins, principal analyst at Forrester.
“It’s critical that policymakers and employers learn how to minimise the number of digital outcasts by measuring the ability of individuals and organisations to adapt to, collaborate with, trust, and generate business results from automation, or else over 1 million Australian workers may be left stranded beyond the next digital divide.”
However, as automation gets more advanced, some jobs will be lost, new ones will be created (1.7 million by 2030), while others will transform into the gig economy.
“Workers unable or unwilling to accept the transition will depart the traditional workforce entirely,” the report states.
The study also revealed workers with cross-domain knowledge will be harder to replace as automation struggles with processing multiple tasks.
Communication skills and empathy are likely to become two valuable skill sets moving forward, with human-touch workers unlikely to be impacted by automation.
About the author
About the author
Salary
Unions call for ‘Aviation Keeper’ lifeline as Qantas posts $1.03bn loss
Australia’s national airline has posted a $1.03 billion half-yearly loss before tax, with the airline’s union calling for an extension of the JobKeeper program to support workers. ...Read more
Salary
IR reforms to ‘suppress wages for years to come’
Unions have hit out at the proposed industrial relations law, approved recently by the lower house, arguing it would leave workers worse off with cuts to take-home pay and conditions, few rights and ...Read more
Salary
JobSeeker rise a ‘half-arsed PR exercise’
The federal government’s plan to permanently increase JobSeeker by $50 a fortnight has been slammed by industry experts for leaving 1.2 million Australians at the mercy of poverty. ...Read more
Salary
UK’s top court declares Uber drivers ‘workers’ in landmark case
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Uber must clarify its drivers as workers instead of independent contractors, which could have major implications for the gig economy worldwide. ...Read more
Salary
3 in 4 Aussies welcome COVID jab as rollout begins
The vast majority of Australians have declared they would consent to a COVID-19 jab, as the first phase of Australia’s vaccination program begins on Monday. ...Read more
Salary
Unemployment falls with the creation of 29k new jobs
The unemployment rate has surprised economists, falling to 6.4 per cent for the month of January, official figures show. ...Read more
Salary
Payroll back ‘around pre-COVID levels’
Australian payroll data is nearing pre-COVID levels as employees return to work post-lockdowns, official stats have revealed. ...Read more
Salary
1.5m workers still relying on JobKeeper as subsidy approaches its end
The number of Australians relying on JobKeeper has almost halved. However, 1.5 million workers are still relying on the government scheme as it approaches its end. ...Read more
Salary
Unions call for ‘Aviation Keeper’ lifeline as Qantas posts $1.03bn loss
Australia’s national airline has posted a $1.03 billion half-yearly loss before tax, with the airline’s union calling for an extension of the JobKeeper program to support workers. ...Read more
Salary
IR reforms to ‘suppress wages for years to come’
Unions have hit out at the proposed industrial relations law, approved recently by the lower house, arguing it would leave workers worse off with cuts to take-home pay and conditions, few rights and ...Read more
Salary
JobSeeker rise a ‘half-arsed PR exercise’
The federal government’s plan to permanently increase JobSeeker by $50 a fortnight has been slammed by industry experts for leaving 1.2 million Australians at the mercy of poverty. ...Read more
Salary
UK’s top court declares Uber drivers ‘workers’ in landmark case
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that Uber must clarify its drivers as workers instead of independent contractors, which could have major implications for the gig economy worldwide. ...Read more
Salary
3 in 4 Aussies welcome COVID jab as rollout begins
The vast majority of Australians have declared they would consent to a COVID-19 jab, as the first phase of Australia’s vaccination program begins on Monday. ...Read more
Salary
Unemployment falls with the creation of 29k new jobs
The unemployment rate has surprised economists, falling to 6.4 per cent for the month of January, official figures show. ...Read more
Salary
Payroll back ‘around pre-COVID levels’
Australian payroll data is nearing pre-COVID levels as employees return to work post-lockdowns, official stats have revealed. ...Read more
Salary
1.5m workers still relying on JobKeeper as subsidy approaches its end
The number of Australians relying on JobKeeper has almost halved. However, 1.5 million workers are still relying on the government scheme as it approaches its end. ...Read more
More articles
Website Notifications
Get notifications in real-time for staying up to date with content that matters to you.
