Automation puts one in 10 Aussie jobs at risk, report warns – 9News

One in 10 jobs in Australia are at risk of being automated as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, a new reports says.

In comparison, wealthier and affluent urban areas face the least risk of jobs being automated.

Jobs most at risk from automation

The OECD estimates 36 per cent of Australian jobs are at risk of being automated, compared with the OECD average of 46 per cent. About 11 per cent of jobs face a high risk of being automated. A further 25 per cent face major changes.

Plant and machinery operators and food preparation workers are among the employment sectors most at risk.

Young people, men and Indigenous people were also more likely to have declining job opportunities.

Where will it be felt hardest?

Regional towns and cities will be among the most affected by automation. Many of these have traditional industries such as coal mining.

About 40 per cent of jobs in the New South Wales Hunter Region face some disruption while in Queensland's Mackay region it was about 41 per cent.

In comparison, Canberra and Sydney's eastern suburbs face the lowest risk of jobs lost through automation.

Which jobs have the best prospects?

The COVID-19 crisis accelerated the shift from traditional industries to teaching and health, the OECD says.

One in seven Australians today work in health or social services, a 100,000 rise over the past 12 months.

In Australia, health or social services now account for more than 14 per cent of all jobs.

What about protecting jobs?

The OECD says some workers will have their duties upskilled to replace their routines duties. This would ensure they could carry out non-routine tasks that could not be achieved through automation.

This trend is increasingly common in the mining and resource industries.

Federal and state governments needed to continue this to encourage a shift away from sectors that have traditional jobs.

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Automation puts one in 10 Aussie jobs at risk, report warns - 9News